11 Terror Behind The Iron Curtain
by Margaret Price
Summary: The Major gets an assignment he is certain is a veiled attempt by his superiors to get him killed. Eroica gets the chance to be a legitimate art appraiser. Full summary within. Eroica.Doctor Who crossover 5th Doctor
1. Prologue Past Horror

**Category**: Crossover – From Eroica With Love / Doctor Who (5th Doctor)

**Pairings:** Dorian/Klaus, Dorian/OCM

**Disclaimer:** _Doctor Who_ original series broadcast on the BBC. Format © BBC 1963  
The _From Eroica With Love_ characters belong to Yasuko Aoike.  
The story and all other original characters are © 2006 Margaret Price.  
No copyright infringement is intended.

**Spoilers:** Eroica – for everything up to and including _Emperor Waltz.  
_Doctor Who – Takes place at the end of_ The Awakening_

**Notes:** This novel length Eroica/Doctor Who Crossover was written specifically for the _Iron and Silk _Fanzine published by El Cheapo Press in May of 2007. I threw in everything but the kitchen sink. This story takes place after _"Emperor Waltz."_ References to canon stories are noted throughout the text.

**Warnings:** You name it! Graphic everything!

**Summary:** The Major gets an assignment he is certain is a veiled attempt by his superiors to get him killed. Eroica gets the chance to be a legitimate art appraiser. The Doctor is given a routine task by the Time Lords in a not so routine location. Prince Jason attends a Medical conference on 27th Century Earth. Somewhere in all this, an alien presence is planning World War III.

* * *

**TERROR BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN  
By Margaret Price**

**PROLOGUE**

**PAST HORROR**

**An Alley  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
Winter, 1940**

The soldier who had been misfortunate enough to be chosen to keep watch over an unrecognizable heap of a body stamped his feet in a vain attempt to ward off the cold. Why he had to freeze his ass off babysitting a corpse, he had no idea. It wasn't as if the poor sod was going to run off before the proper authorities turned up.

Stamping his feet again, he was glad that it was still daylight. At least he could smoke a cigarette while he waited for someone—_anyone_—official to appear. He looked at the malformed mass of flesh at his feet and shuddered, moving closer to the wall and out of the biting wind. He had heard the rumors of maniacs roaming the streets, taking advantage of the war to wreak havoc on the city. Rumors that had been verified as true in a very tangible way that afternoon when he and his buddies literally stumbled across this poor unfortunate.

The proper authorities arrived after what seemed like forever. It was probably only half an hour, but in the bitter cold it might as well have been a month. The soldier stepped aside but could not help but linger, his curiosity aroused when he overheard someone say that this was the second body to appear under mysterious circumstances and in such a state.

Someone noticed the soldier hovering, and he feared he was about to be reprimanded for not leaving right away. Instead, he was asked to assist in crowd control. _Crowd control? In this weather?_

Nevertheless, his curiosity had been piqued and he was glad for an excuse to remain close at hand. Then further surprises came to light. The man's clothing was of a type no one had ever seen before. Moreover, his identity papers were undoubtedly bad forgeries, as the year of his birth was given as 1944. Obviously, that should have been 1904.

Obviously.

That was until they looked at his other documents. His money. All with dates…decades in the _future._ Was this a joke? A body with false identity papers left as a taunt. Why?

When the body was finally loaded into a truck and taken away, the watching soldier was dismissed. He left the scene, heading straight for the nearest bar. He had the sudden urge to get so drunk that he couldn't remember his own name. Then perhaps he would be able to forget what he had just witnessed.

It was difficult enough to accept death at the front lines. There, at least, it was expected. _But this._ This was very disconcerting, and he found himself thinking that returning to the front might not be such a bad thing after all.


	2. Orders Are Bloody Mad

**CHAPTER ONE **

**ORDERS ARE BLOODY MAD**

**NATO Headquarters  
Bonn, West Germany  
August 1987**

Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach had been ordered to his Chief's office for a briefing. Not an unusual occurrence. Nor was the fact that his assignment was secret in nature. He was, after all, a NATO intelligence officer. But _this_ assignment was…was…

"Major?" the Chief said tentatively. "Do you have any questions?"

The Major did not reply. He sat staring into space, not quite believing what he had just been told. He went over the briefing in his head several times, coming up with the same, unbelievable conclusion. Fly to London, pick up a prisoner, take said prisoner to Moscow and hand him over to the KGB.

But not just anywhere in Moscow.

In _KGB Headquarters_ in Moscow.

Finally, the Major turned his disbelieving gaze to the Chief. "You're sending me to the Lubyanka?"

"I'm sure it might appear as though—"

The Major cut him off. "You are sending _me,_ Iron Klaus, to the _Lubyanka._"

"Major, calm down…"

"You're sending me _directly_ to bloody KGB headquarters and you tell me to calm down!" Klaus was trying very hard not to lose his temper, but knew it was a battle he would lose as he got to his feet. "God dammit, why don't you just shoot me now and then send all of NATO's secrets to the Commies? You'll save time."

"Times are changing. We must all change with them," the Chief said placatingly. "You're not escorting this prisoner alone. SIS is sending two top agents with you."

"Top agents my ass! They'll probably send that idiot Lawrence!"

"Major!" the Chief exclaimed, attempting to regain some control of the situation. "This is an extremely sensitive exchange. Moscow requested you, _by name,_ as the only agent they would trust in charge of this mission."

"I'll bet. And once I'm there, I'll be detained indefinitely," Klaus retorted, taking a long drag on his cigarette. "You've been trying to get me killed for years. Looks like you finally found the perfect opportunity."

The Chief could not prevent a smile from twitching at the edges of his mouth. "This time, Major, I had nothing to do with it. This came from the top."

_Marvelous,_ the Major thought. _All of NATO is trying to get me killed._

"Your…_concerns_ in this matter were anticipated," the Chief went on. "NATO doesn't want to lose its best agent. Or the secrets he possesses." He pulled a piece of paper with an elaborate seal embossed on it from a folder. "In order to further the cause of Glasnost and Perestroika, you will be going to Moscow as the personal guest of General Secretary Gorbachev," he informed startlingly.

The Major blinked, taking the paper and examining it. It did indeed state that Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach would be entering the Soviet Union as a VIP with temporary diplomatic status, _and_ as the guest of the General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev.

_Iron Klaus, the personal guest of the leader of the Communist party. What is the world coming to?_

"Surely they don't expect me to escort a prisoner unarmed, do they?" the Major said, looking up.

"No, you have clearance to carry a single firearm," the Chief said, holding out another document.

"A single firearm?" the Major repeated as he took the document.

"Yes. A single—"

"Then I'm taking my Magnum."

"Major, I think you might be better served with something more…reserved."

"If I'm to be limited to one weapon, I'm taking the one with the most firepower, not the least."

The Chief sighed heavily and started shuffling more papers around on his desk. "At the time of the prisoner exchange, there's to be a conference at the Lubyanka. It was decided that you and the other agents would be less likely to have…erm, difficulties leaving the country if you join this gathering after dropping off the prisoner."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "What kind of conference?"

The Chief gave a wry smile. "Security and surveillance."

The Major could not help a smile of irony coming to his face. _That's all the KGB needs, more surveillance equipment._

"Your inclusion is strictly a precaution," the Chief went on. "Once the exchange has been made, you're to return to Bonn. I want you here when the Chancellor makes his announcement."

The Major responded with a non-committal grunt as he looked at the papers in his hand. The higher ups had apparently thought of everything to get him _in_ to Russia. They were scant on details on getting him _out_ should things go wrong, however.

_Orders are orders, but the Lubyanka! _

_Bloody hell!_

* * *

**Somewhere Over The Baltic Sea  
August 1987**

Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria settled back into his seat, a sigh of satisfaction escaping him. He took a sip of the champagne in his hand, idly playing with one of his long blond curls. He looked around the cabin of the private jet he occupied, a contented smile coming to his face. _Yes, this is how I should travel all the time. In style,_ he thought as he stretched out his long legs. Before he could say a word, the glass in his hand was being refilled. _Yes, this definitely is how I should be traveling._

"Don't pour so fast," a voice admonished, breaking into the Earl's contented thoughts like fingernails on a blackboard. "The glass will overflow and you'll waste it."

"James…" Dorian said coolly. "We're not paying for this. Now, please be quiet and let me enjoy being pampered."

"But, my lord—"

Before James could protest further, Bonham was beside him. "Why're you worryin' about a few drops o' champagne?" he said, throwing a quick glance to the back of the plane. "What with lunch bein' prepare an' all."

James was suddenly bolt upright, his eyes wide. "What! They'll be cutting the crusts off the sandwiches, I just know it." He stormed purposefully to the back of the plane.

"That'll keep 'im busy for a while, milord," Bonham said with a grin.

The Earl grinned back. "Thank you, Bonham." The sound of protests suddenly erupted from the galley. "Although, I'm not sure how thankful the crew is going to be."

"With luck, that'll keep 'im busy 'til we land."

"Yes." The Earl settled further into his seat. "You know, I could get used to being a 'Respectable Art Expert,' Bonham. Especially if everyone requiring my services is as lavish as our friends in Leningrad."

"Yes, m'lord."

Dorian giggled as a sudden thought struck him. "Perhaps I should have some new cards printed. I'll have 'From Eroica with love' on one side, and 'Earl of Gloria, Art Expert' on the other."

"I'm sure James'll appreciate not 'aving t' print two sets o' cards," Bonham observed dryly.

"I think this champagne is going to my head," Dorian laughed, going on to take another sip.

Bonham smiled, shaking his head as he returned to his seat. He had no doubts that the Earl could get used to this life of respectability—until one of the pieces he was supposed to be appraising struck his fancy. Then Eroica would come out of retirement in the blink of an eye. Bonham had seen it happen too many times to believe for an instant that the most successful art thief in the world would ever permanently give up thieving.

Eroica glanced out a window, reflecting on the bizarre chain of events that had led to his being on a private jet with the Alexander Palace in Leningrad as his final destination. A very motivated couple from the West was attempting to organize an effort to have the Palace itself renovated, as well as restore all the works that had previously been housed there. A pipe dream, Eroica had thought at the time. Then came the thaw in the Cold War with the introduction of Glasnost by the newest head of the Communist Party, Mikhail Gorbachev.

Out of nowhere, the Earl was being asked his thoughts on the restoration project and if he would be interested in assisting in identifying the artworks that were to be returned to the Palace. Since he had not heard anything about restoration work actually beginning, Eroica was understandably surprised by this request and hesitated in voicing any interest in actually becoming involved. Then came the offer that made up his mind and clinched the deal. All of his expenses, and those of his personal staff, would be paid if he would agree to appraise the condition of the artworks that had been stored in Leningrad. How could he say no to this? Just what treasures of the Czars lay locked away for him to discover?

Eroica smiled when he recalled the look on the faces of the men who had been sent to negotiate for his services. They had offered a great deal of money. He, in turn, countered with his own terms. As payment for his services, he would be paid their stated fee _and_ be allowed to retain a single piece of his choosing. In addition, he would be given all the proper documentation attesting to the fact that the work was his personal property and he was returning it to England. This way, when he actually did return to England with said artwork, there would be no bothersome problems with Customs, Taxes, Tariffs, Duty—or Interpol.

After a few days of negotiation, in which the Earl refused to compromise, his terms were met. A wise move, Eroica thought, since he would've just stolen what he wanted anyway. In fact, there was no saying that he wouldn't steal some other works while he was doing his appraisals. After all, that was what he did best. The agreement just made transportation simpler.

Eroica chuckled as he picked up a small pouch. It looked like a lady's drawstring purse from the Victorian Era, which is what he told everyone that it was. In reality, it was a very cleverly disguised piece of alien technology. A souvenir from an encounter with...well, an alien. Two aliens, actually.(1) A mysterious time traveler known only as the Doctor and his deliciously handsome companion, Jason.  
(1)My story – _Espionage On Ice _

Eroica had twice encountered the pair.(2) In both instances, they had been acting as representatives of an ultra-secret group known as UNIT that specialized in alien incursions. The second time the Doctor had appeared, he had asked the Earl to assist him by doing what he did best. Steal. And from the KGB, no less. The Doctor had given Eroica the pouch, explaining that it was something called a pocket dimension. Despite its small size, it was capable of holding anything no matter how large. The opening would enlarge to accommodate whatever was being put inside. Eroica had even used it to hide himself once. His instructions had been quite simple. Steal everything that wasn't nailed down, which he did. He was also told that he could keep everything he stole, which he also did. Including the pocket dimension.  
(2)My stories – _Do UNIT & NATO Spell Disaster?_ and _Espionage On Ice _

There had been a few times when Eroica entertained the notion of putting the Leopard Tank he had stolen from Iron Klaus inside the little pouch and surprising the German by returning it to him—in the middle of his study where the rest of the Eberbach collection was housed.(3) He could just imagine the Major's reaction when he saw the massive piece of steel sitting in the middle of the room with no indication as to how it had gotten there. _Would the Major remember about the pocket dimension?_ Eroica wondered. _Of course he would. He remembered everything._ As tempting as the thought of annoying the Major in such a manner was, Eroica could not quite bring himself to part with the massive piece of polished steel.  
_(3)Iron Klaus _

The sound of raised voices coming from the galley returned Eroica to the present with a jolt. He sighed heavily and wondered if a time would ever come when he would be able to enjoy a pleasant moment's reflection without its being interrupted by harsh reality.

* * *

**Little Hodcomb, England  
July 1984**

Inside the impossibly large TARDIS control room, neither Eroica nor the Major would have recognized the slight, fair-haired young man who now called himself the Doctor. They had met him when he was in his more bohemian fourth incarnation. He had looked older then, with a riot of dark curls on his head. He was now in his fifth incarnation, with a fresh open face that revealed no hint of his nearly eight centuries of existence. He had given up his long frock coat and even longer scarf for the rather unlikely costume of an Edwardian cricketer complete with white sweater, striped trousers, open necked shirt, and a cream-colored frock coat that had a stalk of celery inexplicably pinned to the lapel.

The Doctor was currently scowling down at the mushroom shaped central control console. He had just had a nasty run in with an alien presence on Earth that had also invaded the TARDIS console room. He wanted to make absolutely certain that all the systems had survived undamaged. And since Tegan, one of his two current traveling companions, wanted to visit her Grandfather while they were there, he felt it best to stay out of the way.(4)  
_(4) The Awakening_

The Doctor's second traveling companion entered via the inner door and stood watching as the Time Lord pottered around the console. Turlough appeared to be just a boy, an escapee from an English public school, but the Doctor suspected from the first that the young man was older than he let on—and not from Earth. He had let information slip that no one from Earth should know in the year 1983…and there always seemed to be more going on behind his piercing blue eyes.

"How much longer are we going to stay here?" Turlough asked. He was trying very hard not to sound whiny. He almost succeeded.

"Tired of Earth already?" the Doctor replied without looking up.

"Doctor, I was tired of Earth when I left with you to begin with,"(5) Turlough replied coolly. "Why do we have to keep coming back?"  
(5) Mawdryn Undead

The Doctor drew a deep breath and looked up. "We came back because Tegan wanted to visit her Grandfather."

"I know that! I mean all those other times."

Before what seemed to be an ongoing argument could continue, there was a loud beep from the console. The Doctor scowled down at it, a surprised expression coming to his face.

"It seems I'm being hailed by Gallifrey," he announced.

"What?" Turlough gasped. "Are they trying to get you back?" The last time they had been to the Doctor's home planet, he could not get away fast enough,(6) and Turlough suspected the Time Lords were more than a little annoyed about the Doctor's disappearance.  
(6) The Five Doctors

"Let's see what they want," the Doctor sighed as he hit a switch. The shutters on the scanner screen opened, revealing a second surprise. The face on the screen belonged to Cardinal Wythe, a senior member of the High Council.

"Well, this _is_ a surprise," the Doctor remarked. "I rather expected Chancellor Flavia to be calling."

Wythe's eyes flickered. "_Acting President_ Flavia is rather busy at the moment," he replied tersely.

A ghost of a smile passed the Doctor's lips but he did not reply.

"The High Council isn't aware of this communication, Doctor," the Cardinal then said startlingly.

"Really? You're contacting me on your own?" The Doctor's eyes narrowed suspiciously. _"Why?"_

"The majority of the High Council believes you wouldn't respond if they tried to contact you. So they don't want to even bother."

"Indeed," the Doctor said frostily.

"I thought otherwise. You _are,_ after all, a Time Lord, Doctor. Whatever you may say to the contrary."

Turlough saw the Doctor stiffened visibly. This was a bit of a sore point. Despite the fact that the Doctor continually insisted that he had renounced Time Lord society, he still spent the majority of his time ensuring that Time was not interfered with or changed in any way.

"Just what is it you want?" the Doctor demanded frostily. "I'm rather busy myself, you know."

Wythe smiled thinly. "There's a disturbance in the vortex."

The Doctor scowled. _Why tell me?_ "Disturbance?"

"Yes. A temporal disturbance that's emanating from Earth in your current time zone. Approximately three years forward of your current position in the timestream."

"What? But…that's impossible. There are no time experiments at this point in Earth's history."

"From the temporal signature, we believe it may not be a time experiment at all," Wythe informed. "It seems to be a malfunctioning transmat that's opened a time corridor."

"A transmat?" This was Turlough, who realized too late that he should not have spoken.

The Doctor threw a quick glance over to his companion before turning back to the scanner screen. "That seems feasible. There are quite a few matter transmission projects going on. It's possible one might've gone wrong."

"It seems to have gone very wrong," the Cardinal agreed.

"Can you give me the exact space/time coordinates?"

Wythe reached down and touched a button. "You should be getting them now."

The Doctor glanced down, looking up again when Wythe said, "Doctor, I know I don't need to impress upon you how important this is…"

"No, you don't," the Doctor replied astringently. "I'm to contact you when this is resolved, I take it?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll be in touch." With that, the transmission ended.

"Well, I never expected Wythe to be a member of the CIA," the Doctor remarked in some surprise.

"CIA?"

The Doctor looked over at his companion and straightened. "The Celestial Intervention Agency," he said unhelpfully. "Looks as though Tegan may have to cut her visit short after all."

"Can't we just leave her behind?" Turlough asked.

"Turlough!"

The young man held up his hands. "I didn't mean it like that!" he protested. _Although it's not a bad idea._ "What I meant was, why have her cut her visit short if it's just a project gone wrong?"

"Turlough, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were being unselfish," came the amused reply.

"I'm glad you know better."

The Doctor grinned. "You don't even know where we're going."

Turlough grunted, waving a hand in the air. "Anywhere's better than here."

"Don't be so sure," the Doctor said darkly.

"Why, where are we going?"

The Doctor met the young man's inquiring gaze. "Moscow, 1987."

"Not in the dead of winter, I hope."

"No, August, by the look of it."

"Good." Turlough saw an odd look on the Time Lord's face. _"Where_ in Moscow, Doctor?"

"KGB Headquarters."


	3. Art Expert

**ART EXPERT**

**CHAPTER TWO**

**A Luxury Hotel  
Leningrad, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

"I hope everything is to your liking, Lord Gloria."

The Earl looked around the vast hotel suite as the last of his luggage was deposited in his bedroom. He smiled, turning back to the man at the door. "Oh, yes, Mr. Romanov—" He broke off and giggled. "Forgive me. It's just…your name…"

The man at the door gave the Earl a dark look. "I am aware of the irony, Lord Gloria. My name is a relic from the past."

"Yes, of course. You're a good little Communist, I'm sure, Comrade Romanov," Eroica said breezily.

Romanov stiffened visibly but did not reply.

"Oh, this is splendid!" Eroica cooed as he looked into one of the bedrooms in his suite. "I didn't expect such luxury."

"We have many visitors from the West, sir," Romanov said stiffly. "Especially now that the General Secretary in encouraging Glasnost."

"Yes, yes, your openness policy is most—_Oh!_" Eroica gasped as he looked out the balcony window. "Just look at that view! It's breathtaking!"

"You have the entire floor, sir," Romanov informed. "You can take in the view from whichever room you choose."

Eroica turned back and grinned. "I might just do that," he said happily.

"Comrade Ivanov asked me to give you this." Romanov held out a fat manila envelope. "He thought you might be interested in seeing some of the pieces that have already been photographed."

Bonham was beside Romanov and took the envelope from his hand, crossing to the Earl.

Eroica's eyes flickered approvingly. _Very proper, Bonham. Good show._

Bonham gave a slight bow as he held out the envelope. "My lord," he said coolly, putting on his best manservant voice.

"Thank you, Bonham. Would you see if everyone's settled in, please?"

"Certainly, my lord." Bonham gave another slight bow before he turned and left.

Romanov gave a slightly disapproving sniff at this display of Western class distinction. Eroica observed the man's reaction with some amusement. He grinned and turned back to the window. "When am I to look at the real thing?" he asked conversationally.

"A car will be sent for you at nine o'clock in the morning."

"Oh, good," Eroica said mildly, waving a hand in the air and not bothering to turn around. "Let Bonham know for me, would you? I'd hate to oversleep."

Romanov's eyes opened wide. He had to fight not to object to being ordered around like a common servant. "Certainly. Good afternoon, Lord Gloria." So saying, he turned and left, the door closing loudly behind him.

The Earl glanced back at the door. "Well, that's you dealt with," he muttered dismissively as he sat down. Before he could look at the contents of the envelope, there was a knock at the door. "Come in!"

The door opened and the Earl was surprise to see that it wasn't Bonham returning, as he thought. "Why, John Paul," he grinned. "I didn't expect you to turn up so soon."

"Mr. Bonham is seeing to the others, my lord," John Paul replied. He held up a small device that Eroica recognized immediately. It was used to detect electronic surveillance devices. Obviously, John Paul wanted to check the room for bugs. "I came to make sure your room was to your liking," he said mildly. "I know how you like everything clean and tidy."

Eroica grinned. "I'm sure once you're through I'll have the cleanest room in Leningrad."

John Paul grinned back and proceeded to check every room in the suite. Neither man was surprised when he located a listening device in every room, including the bathroom! After collecting the lot, John Paul pocketed the bugs, gave the Earl a knowing look, and left, stating that he would check all the other rooms on the floor.

"Give all the bugs you find to James," Eroica instructed. "I'm sure he'll be able to sell them for a tidy little sum on the black market."

"Yes, milord, I'm sure he will."

Now that that had been dealt with, Eroica sat back and pulled the photographs from the envelope. His enormous blue eyes grew even wider as he paged through them. "Oh…" he sighed. "Oh… _Oh!_ Just _look_ at you, my lovelies."

The door to the adjoining room opened as he slowly paged through the photographs a second time. "I want you!" he sighed, clasping the papers to his chest.

James heard this last remark, came to the usual erroneous conclusion, and immediately started to whine. "Oh, my lord!"

Eroica looked up and sighed. He decided to ignore James' usual display of jealousy and held up one of the photos. "James, you _must_ see these."

"No! I can't bear another rival."

"I think I'm the one who should be worrying about a rival this time," Eroica replied knowingly, waving the photo. "This is an Imperial Russian Easter egg."

"You're looking at pictures of food?" the confused James replied.

"James, this is very probably a Fabergé egg." Eroica groaned inwardly at the blank look this statement produced. "Peter Carl Fabergé was the one of the most famous jewelers to the Russian court. If this is one of his eggs—" He paused a beat. "—it's priceless."

"What!" James was suddenly beside the Earl looking from one photo to another. His eyes, well, his visible eye, grew wide. He started to breathe faster and faster.

The Earl smiled and sat back in his chair. "Mr. James, calm down before you hyperventilate."

"Oh, my lord," James sighed, clasping the photos to his chest. "Oh, you must change the terms. You simply must!"

"Why?"

"You said they agreed to let you choose one thing! Only one! You have to choose more!"

"They agreed to give me one of my choosing, James, dear." Eroica gave a knowing smile. "They overlooked asking me not to steal anything."

"Oh, my lord!" the dark-haired man cried gleefully. He clasped the Earl's hand and started to kiss it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Why don't you take those in your room and do a quick tally?" Eroica suggested. "Those are only the items that have been photographed. There's a whole warehouse, yet."

James let out a loud squeak of delight. The Earl suspected that if his accountant died on the spot, he would die a happy man.

James was gathering up the photos just as Bonham returned. Eroica looked up and shook his head, his eyes returning to his accountant, who scurried into the next room humming happily to himself.

Bonham watched this display in some bewilderment. "What's got 'im all merry?"

"I gave him the photos from the warehouse," Eroica replied. "I thought he was going to have a fit of apoplexy when he saw them."

"'e wants you t' steal the lot, I'll wager," Bonham observed as he poured the Earl a drink and handed it to him.

A small smile passed over Eroica's lips. "I'm sure if he thought I could manage it, he'd have me steal the whole warehouse. I rather suspect that our employers might take exception to that."

Bonham chuckled. "So it's small 'n valuable this time 'round, then?"

"Yes, small and extremely valuable." With a grin, Eroica added, "And we begin at nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

* * *

The contents of the warehouse exceeded Eroica's wildest expectations. Obviously, the photographs he had been given were only a tiny fraction of the wonders the building contained.

The structure was divided into sections. His team took a quick tour before they started in, one section at a time. After unpacking their own equipment, they went to work photographing and cataloging the contents of the first room.

Since the work was being done under the watchful eye of some unfriendly looking security men, everything was made to look completely proper. Well, it was completely proper. They had been hired, after all.

Any items that "appeared" damaged were brought to the Earl's attention for his meticulous inspection. In other words, to see if it was nice enough to steal immediately. During these times, Eroica would get updates on the team's progress. Some of the objects actually did have to be repaired, and a separate area was set up to house them. None of the guards noticed that a few of the items never made it to the holding area.

_It's like a dream come true,_ Eroica thought as an exquisite statue was uncrated. Every new treasure seemed better than the last. _I could get used to this art expert lark._

Each day when the group left the building, they were searched. Eroica was amused at the reaction of the security guards the first time he produced the pocket dimension, which he had taken the precaution of fitting with a false lining. The man checking it actually blushed when the Earl explained that it was an antique purse that had once belonged to his paternal great-grandmother. He went on to tell how she was distantly related to one of the Czarinas.

When the pouch was returned to him, Eroica stood clinging to the increasingly embarrassed guard. He complimented his uniform and asked several intimate questions about his obviously muscular physique before volunteering to be strip-searched.

After this, the Earl was kept at arms length and asked to simply hold the seemingly empty purse open so the guard could look inside, which he obligingly did. They never would know the treasures the tiny object contained that went completely undetected each time Eroica strode from of the warehouse.

* * *

**Little Hodcomb, England  
July 1984**

"That went surprisingly well," the Doctor remarked as he strode into the console room, Turlough at his heels. He had expected Tegan to put up some kind of resistance to being left behind, possibly even pointing out the time the Doctor had left her at Heathrow,(7) which was still a bit of a sore point. But none of this had happened. Tegan was more than happy to spend more time with her Grandfather while the Doctor and Turlough went off to straighten out somebody's "science project gone wrong."  
(7) Time Flight

Turlough watched as the Doctor stood silently at the computer for several minutes. He peeked over the Time Lord's shoulder, seeing information flashing up on the screen at an impossible speed. It seemed that the Doctor was refreshing his memory on the time period in question, which he remarked on.

The Doctor gave a small satisfied grunt as he looked up, going on to set the controls. "You can't expect me to remember every minute detail," he remarked.

"You always seem t—" Turlough blinked. "Do you always look up the time period we're going to?" he asked accusingly.

Rather than being embarrassed, the Doctor smiled broadly. "Top marks, Turlough."

"That's cheating!"

Before the Doctor could reply, the TARDIS was materializing at its destination. Turlough activated the scanner and then scowled. "Doctor…" he said cautiously, "I'm no expert on Russian architecture, but that doesn't look even remotely like Moscow. In fact, that looks remarkably like Nelson's column."

"Top marks again," the Doctor said happily.

"I thought we were going to Red Square, not Trafalgar Square."

The Doctor reached for the door lever and stopped, looking his companion up and down. "You might want to put on a coat. It's December."

Turlough sighed heavily and decided not to argue. He looked at the navigational computer and caught his breath. "And it's _still_ 1984." He looked up. "What's going on?"

"Have you ever heard the name Mikhail Gorbachev?"

"Should I have?"

"He's the number two man in the Soviet hierarchy and is meeting with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher—"

"I've heard of her."

"—to deliver a message from Konstantin Chermenko."

"I don't know that one, either."

The Doctor gave an annoyed sigh. "He's the current General Secretary of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. The third in as many years, actually," he added offhandedly.

"All very interesting, Doctor," Turlough said impatiently as he took his jacket from the hatstand near the door and put on. "But what has all that to do with a malfunctioning matter transmitter in 1987?"

The Doctor gave him a dark look. "While in London," he went on, "Mikhail and his wife, Raisa, will go sightseeing."

"And come to Trafalgar Square?" Turlough asked, throwing a glance back at the image on the scanner.

"And go to the British Library, where, among other things, they'll see the seat Karl Marx used when he wrote 'Das Kapital.'"

"I'm sure there's a point to all this…"

"I'm going to wait there so he and I can have a brief conversation before _you and I_ go on to 1987."

Turlough blinked. This was pretty flagrant, even for the Doctor, and he said so.

"Actually, I've met him once already. I'm just going to renew the acquaintance."

"Why?"

"Because in three month's time, Mikhail will go from the number two man in the Communist Party to number one." The Doctor gave a knowing smile. "I had a run in or two with the KGB when I was with UNIT. It never hurts to have friends in the Kremlin when one plans to go to the Lubyanka."

* * *

**Storage Warehouse  
Leningrad, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

It was three days after the Earl's men started work that Mr. Ivanov finally came to see how they were progressing.

"We've just started on the second room," the Earl informed.

"Excellent," Mr. Ivanov said happily. "Your progress is amazing, Lord Gloria."

Eroica gave a bright smile and absently twisted one of his blond curls around a finger. "I have a very good team, Mr. Ivanov."

"That you have, sir, that you have." Mr. Ivanov looked at the men busily packing and unpacking the artworks. After a piece was photographed and numbered, James would meticulously record it in a log. On the surface, it seemed that this was for the benefit of their employer, while in reality, it was so they would know the exact location of every valuable piece for later…appropriation.

"I have another little job for you, if you're interested," Ivanov said mildly, turning back to the Earl.

Eroica's heart jumped. _**More** Russian treasure! This is definitely a dream come true._ "My goodness, you like to keep a body busy," he remarked.

"There's a private collection some distance from here that has never been appraised," Ivanov informed. "One of my colleagues contacted me about it just before you arrived. He wanted the opinion of an art expert as to whether the collection has any actual value."

"I'm not an expert in _everything,_ you know. Especially when it comes to Russian art," Eroica replied in an extremely rare show of modesty.

"Ah," Ivanov lowered his voice, pulling the Earl aside. "This is a bit…touchy, sir. My colleague believes these are stolen works."

Eroica had to fight not to laugh. _Nothing like asking a thief to verify stolen artwork_. "Stolen, you say?" he said archly.

"Yes. Supposedly, the man who owned them was rumored to have been a Nazi during the war."

Eroica's eyebrows went up. "Is it true? Or just local gossip?"

"At this point," Ivanov replied, "it's just gossip. The man appeared shortly after the war. He was German. So the locals decided he must've been a Nazi war criminal hiding in their town."

"So, the art collection could just as easily be replicas," Eroica concluded.

"Yes. That's rather why I was hoping you'd agree to have a look at it."

Eroica looked over at his men working so diligently on the treasures of the Czars. "There's still such a lot to do here…" he said mildly. He was fighting to keep from jumping up and down. A side trip to the Russian countryside _and_ a possible cache of lost masterpieces!

"I'm sure your men can get along without you for a few days," Ivanov said calmly. "It will take a full day just to get there."

"Lord Gloria doesn't work for free," James injected suddenly.

Eroica wasn't sure if he should be annoyed or amused by this interruption. He decided on amused when he saw the disconcerted look on Ivanov's face. "James is right. I do have my standards. If I start doing odd jobs for free, where will that get me?"

James nodded approvingly but did not take his eyes off Ivanov. Before he could start firing questions at the man, Eroica said, "I'll do it if you double my current fee."

Ivanov gulped and James let out a delighted squeak. "And a another piece of your choosing, too, m'lord," the accountant said firmly.

"Yes, thank you, James. And another piece of my choosing," Eroica said calmly.

Ivanov nervously looked from one to another. "Ah…er…um…"

"Those are my terms."

After a moment, Ivanov nodded. "I'm sure I can get that for you, Lord Gloria."

"Excellent," Eroica grinned. "And where is this supposed treasure trove?"

"In a little village approximately one hundred and eighty kilometres to the south."

Eroica nodded absently. "So long as it's not Siberia," he joked.

Ivanov smiled thinly. "Not quite."

"And just when do we leave?"

"Will tomorrow be too soon?"


	4. Prisoner Exchange

**CHAPTER THREE**

**PRISONER EXCHANGE**

**A Luxury Hotel, Lobby**  
** Leningrad, Soviet Union**  
** August 1987**

"Lord Gloria, I think you may have misunderstood," Ivanov said as he took in the Earl's entourage and luggage. "My request was for you alone to accompany me."

Eroica's eyebrows went up. "Was it, indeed?" he said innocently. He had understood perfectly what the man had said, but that wasn't about to stop him from seeing what he could get away with. "Will there be someone to look after me at the other end of this frightfully long journey?"

Bonham had to fight not to laugh as Ivanov's eyes crossed. How the Earl loved to play with stuffed shirts like this man.

"I'm sure my colleague will have all that in hand, Lord Gloria," Ivanov replied coolly.

"Oh, well, that's alright then," Eroica replied breezily, waving a hand in the air. He turned to his men. "Bonham, have my things put in the car, please."

"Yes, m'lord," Bonham said crisply, giving a slight bow before waving a hand to the others.

"My Lord," James moaned, "you simply mustn't go alone!"

"I'm sure Mr. Ivanov will take good care of me, James," Eroica replied mildly.

"What if they try to kidnap you and hold you for ransom?" James said firmly.

"I'm sure you'd wear them down to a good price."

"My lord!"

"Anyway," Eroica went on calmly, "someone has to oversee things while I'm away. And who better than you?"

James paused, a perplexed expression passing over his face. This was true. The others would never catalog everything correctly. Nor would they keep a proper accounting of the time they spent on the job.

"I'll be back in a few days," Eroica said breezily, watching as the last of his luggage was loaded in the waiting limousine. Before James could object further, the Earl gave him a hug and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You can give me a full and private accounting of everything that went on while I was gone," he whispered in his ear.

"Uh…uh, er…um," James stammered. He was unable to see for the stars in his eyes, his heart soaring. "Yes! Oh, yes, my lord! Yes, yes!"

Eroica gave a bright smile before he turned on his heel and left the building. Bonham watched as he got into the waiting limousine, which drove of in the direction of the train station.

"Back to work, Bonham!" James called as he made his way back to the elevator. "We must get everyone back to work. I want to have a long report to give Lord Gloria when he returns."

Bonham sighed and followed after the accountant. "You reckon that German's collection really is a 'oard o' Nazi paintings?" he asked. "Or just another rumor?"

James gave a derisive snort. "So long as it's nothing to do with that German machine maniac." Then a sudden thought struck him and he looked up sharply. "He's a Neo-Nazi expert! What if they've called him in, too?"

"That's 'ardly likely, is it?" Bonham broke in before James could begin whining in earnest. "The Commie's aren't likely t' be callin' in Uncle NATO, are they?"

* * *

**Heathrow Airport  
London, England  
August 1987**

The Major had taken Agents A, B and Z along to take care of any of the details that might have been overlooked in what seemed to him to have been a very hurriedly arranged exchange.

The men had scarcely left the gate when they were met by a member of SIS. The Major inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it wasn't that idiot Bond wannabe Lawrence. He and his men were taken to a security area where two other agents with the ridiculously unoriginal code names of Smith and Jones were waiting with a handcuffed prisoner.

The Major looked the latter up and down and wondered what was so special about this particular individual that necessitated assigning Iron Klaus to escort him to Moscow. "Your code name?" he asked calmly.

"Siberian Shadow," came the startling reply.

The Major's eyebrows went up. Impressive. So _this_ was the man who had managed to break into Buckingham Palace and get all the way to the Queen's bedroom before being caught. The public had been told it was a disturbed individual, while the intelligence community was abuzz with the story. Siberian Shadow had been a thorn in the side of SIS security for nearly a decade, and very likely the one behind the half dozen security breaches at the Palace that year alone before he was finally caught. _When was that?_ Klaus thought, searching his memory. _July of 1982._

"You've been a guest of Her Majesty for some time," he said finally.

"Five years," Siberian Shadow replied. His eyes narrowed. "And you are the infamous Iron Klaus. Someone must think I'm rather important. No doubt I'll receive a hero's welcome when I return home."

The Major grunted, thinking it would be more likely this poser would be packed off to Siberia to live up to his name. "Let's go," he said curtly, waving a hand to the others.

Klaus had the SIS men take the lead, the prisoner between them, while he followed behind. It was all too obvious that the prisoner wasn't the only one who was slightly unnerved by this.

"Major, wouldn't you like to walk ahead of us?" Jones asked apprehensively as they made their way through the terminal.

"I'd rather have him where I can see him," the Major replied coldly. Especially since he was the only one being permitted to carry a gun into the Soviet Union.

Agent B had gone to make certain all the paperwork was in order so there would be no delays. Agent Z was sent ahead to the gate to give it a security sweep while Agent A stayed with the first SIS man, having been charged with calling ahead to Berlin, the first stop on the journey to Moscow. The Major and his subordinates would go to Berlin via a commercial carrier. After this, the Major, the SIS men, and Siberian Shadow would be transferred to a military jet that would take them directly to the Soviet Union. They would then be taken to the Lubyanka, where the so-called exchange would take place.

At the same time the Major and the others were in route to Moscow, a KGB contingent would also be taking a prisoner to an undisclosed location. After all this was concluded, the Major and his British counterparts would join the group of businessmen at the conference and leave the Soviet Union with them.

It all seems very straightforward. All the paperwork had been in order. Agent A had verified that a plane was already waiting for the Major's arrival in Berlin. On top of this, the Kremlin had reiterated its desire for this gesture of openness to go off without a hitch.

When they arrived at the gate, Agent Z drew the Major's attention to a familiar face among the crowd of relatives saying their goodbyes. The Major halted the others and turned to Z. "How long has he been there?"

"He was there when I came to check the area, sir," Z replied in a low voice.

The Major nodded and then turned to the crowd, a cheerful expression on his face. "Now there's a face I didn't expect to be seeing me off," he said happily, crossing to the KGB agent, Polar Bear.

Polar Bear scowled. How he hated when the Major greeted him in this manner.

"After what happened in Austria,(8) I thought you'd be living in Siberia by now," the Major said.  
(8) Emperor Waltz

"I think you have me confused with a different courier," Polar Bear replied.

The Major's eyes flickered. _So somebody **did** go to Siberia after that cock up. Good._ "Making sure your Comrade gets off on schedule?" he asked coldly.

"I didn't believe it when they told me that _Iron Klaus_ would actually be taking Siberian Shadow to Moscow."

"Orders are orders," the Major said dismissively. "Would I be correct in assuming there'll be a similar greeting party in Berlin?"

"Perhaps…" Polar Bear said evasively. "I should think the greeting party in Moscow would be of more concern to you."

The Major waved a hand in the air. "Didn't you hear? I'm a personal guest of your General Secretary Gorbachev." He could not resist the small smile that twisted the edges of his mouth at the astonished look this announcement produced. "With full diplomatic status," he added smugly.

The conversation ended when the final boarding call came over the public address system. The Major turned to see his alphabets patiently waiting beside the nervous looking SIS men, who stood twitching and glancing towards the gate. _Idiots. Do they think I'm gonna miss the plane?_

Within half an hour, the plane was lifting off. The Major settled back in his seat and lit a cigarette. Despite the appearance of Polar Bear, things were going much too well for his liking. Even without his subordinates around to screw things up at the final destination, he was certain something would go wrong. But at least there was no possible way for Eroica to show up and make a mess of things. There was no way the Earl would go anywhere near the KGB.

OoOoO

**Somewhere South of Leningrad, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

"This collection I'm to be looking at," Eroica said calmly. "Where is it, exactly?"

"Apparently, it's been in storage since the war," Ivanov replied. "The owner died a few weeks ago, and it was only just discovered when his heirs came to claim his estate."

Eroica's eyebrows went up. "I didn't realize the Soviet government contacted family living outside the Communist block."

Ivanov cleared his throat. "The heirs in question are from East Germany."

"Ah!" Eroica nodded. That explained a great deal. There would be no problems contacting someone in another Communist country. Nor would they be very likely to argue should Moscow decide it wanted to keep whatever treasure this individual might possess.

The Earl noticed that his host had fallen into an awkward silence and wondered how best to begin the conversation again. He did not have to. At that moment, one of Ivanov's assistants came to their compartment. After a brief conversation, he left.

"You're surrounded by such handsome young men," Eroica sighed. He leaned over to watch the receding figure move down the corridor. Ivanov shifted uncomfortably in his seat and the Earl gave him an innocent look. "Is something wrong?"

"My colleague is a man of the old school, Lord Gloria," Ivanov began nervously. He met the Earl's inquiring gaze and waved his hand to take in his colorful apparel. "Your…er, decadent appearance may be disconcerting for him."

Eroica leaned forward, putting his chin in his hand and fluttering his eyelashes. "Only my appearance, Comrade?" he said breathily.

Again, Ivanov cleared his throat nervously. He pulled at his collar as he attempted to come up with the right words._ Is it getting hot in here?_

This reaction caused the Earl to laugh and he sat back in his seat. "Don't look so worried. My man packed a very respectable business suit for me." He indicated a garment bag hanging against the wall that had somehow escaped the other man's notice. "I didn't want to soil it on the train. It's rather expensive, and Mr. James would never forgive me if I ruined it."

"I see…"

"Don't fret. I'll change before we arrive."

Relief flooded visibly over Ivanov's face. "I appreciate that, Lord Gloria."

"I want to make a good impression on your associate," the Earl added archly, grinning at the disconcerted expression this produced on the other man's face.

"If you'll excuse me, I have to meet with my assistants." So saying, Ivanov practically fled from the compartment.

Eroica giggled and glanced out the window. He pulled out the pocket dimension and smiled knowingly as he took a cigarette and lighter from it. He casually lit the cigarette and smiled again. How many treasures would this little wonder contain when he made the return journey to Leningrad?

* * *

**The Kremlin  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

Turlough sat quietly near the end of a long conference table while the Doctor happily chatted with several apparently high ranking Soviet officials. The young man had been introduced to all concerned and then hurriedly taken to a chair by the Doctor, who told him to stay put and not interrupt.

Someone came in with some very sweet tea and then, about an hour later, with some very strong Vodka. Fortunately, no one bothered to offer the boy any of the latter. He sat calmly sipping his tea while the Doctor and the others knocked back glass after glass of Vodka. Turlough could not help but wonder how they could possibly keep track of what they were talking about during all this…toasting.

After several hours, the Doctor got to his feet and thanked everyone at the table. Then it was bear hugs all around, slaps on the back, and kisses on the cheek.

Turlough got slowly to his feet and waited for all this nonsense to be over. Suddenly, the Doctor had him by the arm and was steering him out the door.

"Come on," the Doctor said in a low voice. "That's done it."

"Done what?" his confused companion replied.

"Cemented my standing with the current regime of the Communist Party, as it were."

Turlough blinked. "It did?"

"Yes. Apparently, my past exploits with UNIT did not go unnoticed by Moscow."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Considering who one of the individuals was that I was working with at the time, not good as far as the KGB was concerned."

"But not now?"

"No. The Kremlin is giving us a cover story," the Doctor informed. "So, tomorrow morning, all the papers necessary for us to begin a complete and scientific evaluation of the matter transmission experiments in the Lubyanka will be ready and waiting." He pushed open a door and continued down a long corridor.

"Wow."

"Yes. As I said. It helps to have friends in high places."

Turlough nodded. Then it suddenly occurred to him that they were striding through the Kremlin unimpeded. It also occurred to him that the Doctor was still cold sober, which he remarked on.

"Ah. Well, my liver is currently working overtime to metabolize all that alcohol," the Doctor said offhandedly. "Time Lord physiology does have its uses from time to time."

_I'll bet_. "There won't be a repeat performance when we pick up your paperwork, I hope," Turlough said dryly.

The Doctor gave him a disapproving look. "No."

* * *

**The Lubyanka, KGB Headquarters  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

Several hours after lifting off from London's Heathrow airport, the Major found himself in a car on the way to KGB headquarters. He reflected back on the numerous failed attempts by KGB agents to get him to Moscow. Now, here he was going willingly. Well, not exactly _willingly_, but he _was_ under orders. _Goddamn, bloody, fucking NATO. _

The Major was actually surprised that none of the agents he had encountered over the years were present to gloat. Polar Bear was undoubtedly still in London. Mischa the Cub had greeted him in Berlin. That was only two out of how many others over the years? Perhaps the higher ups at the Kremlin _were_ attempting to make a show of things. Which only caused him to be all the more suspicious. If the Commies let Iron Klaus leave the very heart of KGB headquarters unscathed, then the intelligence community might be fool enough to let its guard down.

_Idiots, _Klaus thought as he started up the stone steps. _The bloody KGB never does anything without an ulterior motive. _

As in London, the Major followed after the others. He was stunned when the journey led to the third floor office of KGB Chairman Viktor Chebrikov.

_If the KGB is going to make a move, this would be the perfect time, _he thought as he went through the official motions of turning Siberian Shadow over to his superiors. A conference call was made to the United States and it was only then that the Major learned that his opposite number in the KGB had been delivering _their_ prisoner to CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

Chebrikov spoke with CIA Director William Webster for several minutes. As far as the Major could see, they were just exchanging platitudes. The KGB Chairman made a small speech about the new reforms, which brought to mind his less than banal statements that had been on the front of _Pravda_ that very January. The man had actually admitted that employees of the KGB had committed illegalities.

The Chairman then stunned the Major again by personally thanking him for leading the team that returned Siberian Shadow to the Soviet Union. For the sake of diplomacy, Klaus grudgingly accepted the handshake, but was not about to give the man a bear hug.

Finally, the little gathering ended and the Major and his SIS counterparts were being taken to where the businessmen were gathered to discuss security and surveillance systems. Klaus lit a cigarette as the group made their way down the corridor. He looked completely relaxed, but his eyes were never still for an instant.

"I didn't think we were going to get out of there alive," Jones said nervously, throwing a quick glance back at the now closed door of the Chairman's office.

"Neither did I," Smith replied. He breathed a sigh of relief as they boarded the elevator.

Klaus moved to the back of the lift and watched in some annoyance as the SIS men relaxed visibly. "We're not out of the Lubyanka yet," he said aridly as the doors closed.


	5. Inside The Lubyanka

**CHAPTER FOUR**

**INSIDE THE LUBYANKA**

**Security & Surveillance Conference**  
** The Lubyanka**  
** Moscow, Soviet Union**  
** August 1987**

"You must be our late arrivals."

The Major turned to the man who had spoken, thinking this was so ridiculously obvious it did not even require a reply. Instead, he settled for a piercing look and gave a small smile when the man flinched. "Hans Keller," he said, shaking the man's already outstretched hand.

"Ah! You'd be with the German contingent."

_Again with the fucking obvious! Bloody Yanks. _"Ja, zhat I vould," Klaus sing-songed in a caricature German accent.

The SIS men gave him a stricken look before they were suddenly being accosted by the man who identified himself as Jeff Miller, one of the organizers of the conference.

"Well, let's get you settled," Mr. Miller said happily. "We're just about to get back underway."

"I'm still a bit muddy on the details," Jones said mildly.

"Oh, just brainstorming today. We'll take everyone's ideas to the Commies when we're done. Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes," Miller grinned. "We'll teach 'em what Madison Avenue is all about."

"Oh, jolly good!" Smith said in an exaggerated tone. Miller rushed off to get the leaders of the other groups. "I have no idea what the bloody Yank just said," Smith said under his breath.

"I think the KGB would be preferable to that idiot," the Major replied aridly.

"At least the Commies have better taste in suits," Jones agreed, taking in the American's garish clothing. The majority of the assembled businessmen were dressed in the standard three-piece suit and tie. Only a few, such as Miller, had chosen "business casual."

"When are we supposed to get out of here?" Smith asked quietly as the three waited near the door. "Now wouldn't be soon enough for me."

Klaus mentally agreed with him. The sooner they were out from behind the Iron Curtain, the better. "Tomorrow," he replied in an equally quiet voice. "We're only supposed to be at this little gathering as a cover. My agents already verified the details. You'll leave the building with the British contingent. I'll be with the German group. Your airline tickets should already be at the front desk of your hotel. And a car will be waiting to take you to the airport at seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Jones nodded. "My thanks to your agents, Major." He groaned as Miller waved a hand in their direction. The idiot was speaking with some men at the front of the room. "Happy faces, Mr. Smith," he said as he plastered a grin on his face.

"Yes. Happy faces, Herr…um?" Smith's voice trailed off when he turned to the Major.

"Keller."

"Yes. Happy faces, Herr Keller."

The Major gave a snort. "I'll leave that to you two _jolly_ Englishmen," he said as he lit another cigarette.

"You lucky bugger. The stoic Teutonic fits you like glove, Major," Jones said as he acknowledged the man grinning inanely at him from the front of the room. "I hate playing the ruddy jolly Englishman."

The Major's eyes flickered but he did not reply as someone from their respective groups came to collect them at that moment. They joined the others as the conference finally got underway.

* * *

**Train Station  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

"I feel like I've been on that train forever," Eroica said as he stepped onto the platform and stretched. As promised, he had changed from his customarily outlandish attire to a very respectable Armani suit and tie. He had even managed to procure a rosebud for his buttonhole.

"If you'll come this way, Lord Gloria."

Eroica turned to see Romanov a few feet away. "Comrade Romanov!" he said brightly. "I didn't know you would be coming with us. Oh, how positively delicious!"

Romanov did not reply, giving the Earl a cold, disapproving look, which went completely ignored.

_You call **that** intimidating? _Eroica thought dismissively as he looked around the platform. _The Major could eat you for breakfast. _Then he giggled as his own words struck him. Several images in his own desire to be eaten for breakfast by the Major came to mind, all of which he knew the officer would object to violently.

_Keep your mind on the job, _Eroica reminded himself. _You can't afford to let your lechery run away with you. Especially in Communist Russia! _

"This looks like a rather large city," he remarked, trying to get his mind back on the subject of art…and thieving. "I thought this collection was in a small village."

"I'm sorry. My English. It isn't what it should be," Ivanov said apologetically as he came up beside him. "The man who died lived in a small village. His collection is stored here." He held out a hand to the waiting car.

"Isn't it a bit late to be looking at these?" Eroica asked as he got into the car. "We're losing the light," he said, glancing up to the fast darkening sky.

"There's plenty of light in the studio, Lord Gloria. No need to worry about passing summer thunderstorms stealing the sunlight."

Eroica nodded. "Natural light is always the best." _Except when **I'm** the one doing the stealing, then pitch dark it best. _

Ivanov settled back in his seat. "If you feel you need to see them in better light, we'll return tomorrow," he said amiably. "First, we'll get you introduced to everyone."

"Oh, if you must…" the Earl sighed dramatically.

"Then we'll get you to the finest restaurant in the city for dinner. How does that sound?"

The Earl brightened considerably upon hearing this. "That sounds lovely."

* * *

**Security & Surveillance Conference  
The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

Klaus listened as the businessmen bickered back and forth about technological advances and current "state-of-the-art" technology, all of which would be considered outdated by the intelligence community. He nodded when others did, deferring to someone else with "better knowledge" when asked his opinion. He preferred to chain smoke and observe. When he first heard of this conference, he feared the Soviets would be getting hold of ultra-modern or top secret equipment. Now that he'd seen what was being presented, he realized his worries were groundless. If the Reds were going to get their hands on modern technology, it certainly wouldn't be from this lot.

There was a break in the afternoon, and Klaus decided to take advantage of the lax atmosphere and slip out. He might never get another opportunity to walk around the Lubyanka again. After all, he held only temporary diplomatic status. As soon as he returned to Germany, it would be null and void. He left the conference room with a few others heading to the Men's room. No one would pay any attention to him, nor would they be looking for him to return with any specific group. He took care of business, and then took his time washing his hands as one group of men was replaced by another. He casually lit a cigarette as he left the room, and then quickly headed in the opposite direction of the conference room, vanishing around a corner before anyone noticed.

Considering where he was, the Major was surprised at what little security there actually was. He expected to see at least a guard or two somewhere along the line. He kept a mental note of the turns he made, keeping to a specific pattern so he would be able to find his way back to the conference room.

A door opened up ahead of him followed by voices. He ducked around a corner and strained to listen. Scientists discussing technical mumbo jumbo, he concluded. Then again, any scientific information he could gather would be of value to someone, even if he himself didn't understand a word of it. With this in mind, he decided to follow them.

Klaus had barely started down the corridor when he realized he wasn't alone. Someone had obviously spotted him and was following. He continued until he was within a few feet of the door that had opened before he casually lit a cigarette and turned. The corridor was the empty. So, he waited. After a minute, he heard the man shift position and a ghost of a smile came to his face. Amateur.

"Well, don't stand around in the shadows," he said calmly. "If you don't want to lose track of me, you'd better keep up."

A man Klaus did not recognize stepped into the corridor. From the insignia on his uniform, the Major recognized the man's rank as Lieutenant. _So I only rate a junior officer. How low has Iron Klaus sunk? _

"You're a long way from the conference, sir," the Lieutenant said as he came forward.

"I was looking for the john" the Major replied coolly.

"Really? You weren't looking for other things?"

"It's a security and surveillance conference. I was checking the security. Not very efficient, in my view."

A door near the room the Major was heading toward opened and another man he did not recognize stood on the threshold. He exchanged a look with the Lieutenant, who said simply, "Comrade Borodin."

Borodin acknowledged the greeting with a nod and turned to the Major. "I can only assume you're trying to collect intelligence information to take back to Bonn, Major Eberbach," he said knowingly.

The Major's eyes flickered. _Dammit, I was set up. They **let** me wander this far into the building. Why? _He waved his hand dismissively. "There isn't anything here that I don't know already." He made a point to stubbing out his cigarette on the portrait of Mikhail Gorbachev that was on the wall behind him.

Borodin stepped back in the doorway, holding out a hand. "Please, Major, come in. I've a feeling you've never seen this before."

The Major threw a quick glance back at the armed officer blocking his escape. The threat was obvious. When no one made any move to search him, he wondered if they realized that he was armed. That was definitely a piece of information to keep to himself. At least for the time being.

Klaus gave a non-committal shrug and entered the room. Whatever he could glean, he reminded himself, and then get the hell out as quickly as possible. He'd head for the nearest Embassy of a NATO country and contact Bonn. After that, the politicians could fight out the details of getting him out from behind the Iron Curtain.

* * *

**Inter-Galactic Medical Conference  
Gorbachev Complex  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

"I hope your first visit to Earth was enjoyable, your highness," Rosewood said urbanely as he led his royal guest through the enormous building.

When Rosewood originally learned he had been assigned as aide to a visiting Crown Prince of a planet he had never heard of, he had foreseen a week of ego stroking compounded by lengthy explanations of all things human. He soon learned that his royal charge was nothing like the other aristocrats to whom he had been assigned. The Prince was extremely intelligent and very knowledgeable about inter-species medicine. In fact, he was a self-sufficient individual who appreciated candor and had absolutely no illusions about himself whatsoever.

Prince Jason gave his aide a small smile. "Actually, this isn't my first visit to Earth, Rosewood," he said mildly.

Rosewood gave the Prince a startled look. "Really, sir? I was sure the Ministry said this was your first visit."

"Well, it's my first as Crown Prince. And the first in this century. They just didn't go back far enough."

This was enough to stop Rosewood in his tracks. "This _century? _"

"My dear Rosewood, I'm Alterran, not human. I'm almost three hundred years old."

Rosewood's eyes grew wide as saucers. "Three _hundred? _" he gasped, looking the Prince up and down. He looked very human. Average height and build, curly black hair with not a speck of grey anywhere. In fact, he looked like he was in his late twenties.

Jason grinned. "I should've realized they hadn't told you all the facts when I first arrived."

"Sir, all they told me was your title and that you were a highly qualified physician."

Jason laughed at this. "At least they have me as highly qualified. That's something I suppose."

Rosewood's next question was forestalled when a uniformed individual appeared with a message requesting that the Prince come to Transmat 12.

Jason raised an eyebrow, exchanging a baffled look with his aide. "I'm not being deported from the planet, am I?" he asked jokingly.

The officer gave him a puzzled look. "No, sir," he said seriously.

Rosewood chuckled. "His highness was joking, Corporal."

"Yes, sir," the Corporal replied stiffly before turning to lead the way.

Jason shook his head. _Why is it military men **never** have a sense of humor? _

When the Prince arrived at the transmat room, he found more serious expressions. Then he learned why. Transmat 12 had been experiencing intermittent power fluctuations. Since all the other transmats were functioning perfectly, the fault was thought to be isolated to this single unit. And all efforts of the technicians to trace the origins of the fault had proven fruitless.

"I'm sorry, I'm not following this," Jason interrupted. "Why did you want _me? _I'm not a transmat technician."

"No, sir," lead technician Barnes replied. "But I understand that you have considerable knowledge of temporal mechanics and time-travel."

Rosewood made a small startled noise, causing the Prince to throw him an amused sideways glance. The poor man had been his aide for more than a week, and only on the day he was scheduled to leave was he learning about his considerable experience and background. What would the poor man think if he learned he was what many referred to as a "shape-shifter?" _Vulgar term,_ the Alterran reflected with distaste. He much preferred the term, "transmute."

"True. But I still don't see how it's relevant," the Prince replied.

Technician Barnes motioned the Alterran over to the computer screen. "We just discovered the energy fluctuation is external." He pointed at the wave pattern being displayed. Before he could say anything further, he heard Jason catch his breath.

"Good Lord, do you have any idea what that is?" Jason asked, turning his now wide sapphire blue eyes in the technician's direction.

"Not exactly, sir. That's why I sent for you."

"It means you have a transmat sitting on top of a temporal anomaly!" the Prince announced. "I think you should start from the beginning, Mr. Barnes."

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The Major kept a bored expression on his face, but as usually, his eyes took in everything. The room was large and very functional, the back wall covered with gauges and dials. A massive computer, perhaps? There was a kind of podium or control panel a few metres in front of it that had an angled surface. He wondered if an operator was meant to be standing behind it.

Klaus turned his gaze to the other side of the room and frowned. There was a large square platform that had a tall, clear plastic enclosure on it. No, not even an enclosure. It only had three sides. Another platform stood against the far wall, but had only loose equipment and wires piled on it. He turned back to Borodin, who had an expectant expression on his face. "Don't tell me. You've discovered how to make a bullet proof telephone booth," Klaus said blandly.

"Very amusing," Borodin replied.

"Enough of this crap," Klaus snapped impatiently. "What the hell do you want? I have a conference I'm supposed to be attending. My Chief expects a full report."

Borodin waved a hand. The Lieutenant who had been following the Major took him by the arm. Klaus had to fight not to pull away as he was dragged further into the room and finally thrust against the wall. _Find out what they're up too,_ he reminded himself. _Don't tip your hand too soon._

"We both know that Iron Klaus isn't here to attend a conference," Borodin replied coldly as he came to stand in front of him.

"If you know who I am, you also know I'm here as a guest of your General Secretary," the Major replied coldly. He gave the man an angry look. "Your own Director admitted there were…illegalities within the KGB. Does he know they're still going on?"

Borodin growled and slapped the Major across the face. "Insolent dog!"

The Major touched his hand to his face and looked up, his eyes blazing. "_That_ was a mistake."


	6. Transmat Or Time Corridor?

**CHAPTER FIVE **

**TRANSMAT OR TIME CORRIDOR?**

**Transmat 12  
Gorbachev Complex  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

Technician Barnes had only just finished his rundown of events when the transmat systems came to life on their own. He gave a low groan, looking at the readings in despair. Beside him, Prince Jason had a different reaction. His eyes flashed over the readings and then to the monitor atop the control desk. "That's not an anomaly," he announced. "It's a time corridor."

"Time corridor?" Barnes replied. "How's that possible?"

"I've no idea." Jason's fingers were already clattering on the keyboard. "It's fluctuating all over the place. Moving forward and backward in time. The transmat must pick it up whenever it moves into this time zone."

The Technician glanced over to his equally bewildered co-workers. When he had insisted on sending for a temporal engineer, his superiors had simply scoffed at him, something he feared the Prince would also do. He was greatly relieved that this was not the case, and equally relieved that his decision to send for the Prince had not been in vain.

"Um, sir? What can we do about this?"

Jason looked up, a puzzled expression on his face. "Do?"

"To shut it down?"

"Ah!" Jason grinned. "Nothing, I'm afraid. It has to be shut down at the source, wherever—_**when**_ever—that is."

Barnes groaned and closed his eyes. "Great."

"Don't despair, Mr. Barnes. I've a friend who's an expert in these matters. He'll be able to deal with the source."

"A temporal engineer?"

"Better."

"Better? What's better than a temporal engineer?

Jason looked the technician in the eye, his smile widening. "A Time Lord."

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The sound of voices coming from the hallway brought a knowing smile to Borodin's face. "Now we'll see why you're _really_ here, Major," he said cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" came the confused reply.

A split second later, the door behind the officer opened. "My colleague is just in here," came Ivanov's voice.

The Major's eyes widened when a very familiar English voice replied, "This isn't exactly the type of storage facility I was expecting."

The Earl entered and stopped dead as he took in the room. Then his eyes fell on the equally astonished Klaus. "Major!" he gasped, not quite able to take it in. He looked around himself, become more frightened and confused by the second.

"What is this?" Eroica demanded, turning to Ivanov. "Where have you brought me?"

"You idiot, this is KGB Headquarters," the Major snapped.

Eroica blanched visibly. "What?"

"This is my colleague, Comrade Alexei Borodin," Ivanov informed, holding a hand out in the scientist's direction.

Before the Earl could think of a reply, he found himself being pulled away from the door by one of the two Soviet Army men who had been part of his "escort" into the building. He was roughly shoved over to where the Major stood glaring at him. He fell back against the officer and turned quickly to face him, a startled expression on his face. He looked the Major in the eye, his eyes flashing down to where he gun was and back up again.

The Major's eyes flickered in response. Obviously, the Earl had felt the gun when he collided into him. Moreover, he was smart enough to keep this information to himself. Or so Klaus thought. Suddenly, the idiot was hugging him!

"Oh, Major, I'm so glad you're here to protect me," Eroica cooed.

"He's got a gun!" someone gasped as the Major's jacket was pushed open far enough to reveal his shoulder holster.

"You—!"

"Trust me, Major," Eroica said quietly before the admonition could get any further.

Klaus growled and continued to glare at the thief as he was searched. The man searching him was surprised to find the officer unarmed. As was the Major, who suddenly realized that Eroica had taken his weapon when he was making a show of hugging him.

"Really, Major," Eroica chided. "Must you _always_ wear that thing? Even when you're not allowed to carry a gun?"

"You never know when you might find one," the Major replied aridly, giving the armed guards at the door a knowing look.

"Search the Earl, too," Ivanov ordered.

The Major rolled his eyes. "That will make his day."

Eroica gave him a bright smile. "Jealous, Major?" he said archly.

"I wouldn't waste my time searching _you_ for a gun. You're a lousy shot. Completely useless with firearms."

"Oh, that hurt!" Eroica moaned. He grabbed the Major's lapel and gave him a quick shake. "I demand an apology!"

Klaus was momentarily thrown. "You _what?_"

"I demand an apology," the Earl repeated firmly.

This time, the Major was fully aware of his weapon being returned as the Earl made a point of running a hand over his chest when he withdrew it.

"You'll get a fat lip if you don't take your hands off me," Klaus growled threateningly.

"Enough!" Ivanov roared. He waved a hand and the pair were roughly separated.

"What the hell did you bring this bloody bugger to Moscow for?" the Major demanded.

"According to our records, Major Eberbach, there's a long standing relationship established between the two of you," Ivanov informed smugly.

"Christ, you idiots can't get anything right! How many times must I tell you I want nothing to do with this bloody nuisance!"

"What do you expect, Major?" Eroica said dismissively. "They can't even get your name right."

The Major gave a disgusted snort in reply.

"I think it's lack of breeding myself," Eroica went on coolly.

The Major's eyes narrowed. Although he could not deny being amused when the Earl went on to say, "First there's the obvious lack of manners on Comrade Ivanov's part. No formal introductions on my arrival. And we don't even get Comrade Borodin's patronymic."

"Perhaps the bastard doesn't have one."

Eroica's eyes widened in surprise. Was the Major actually going along with this frivolity? Then again, he would go along with anything that came at the expense of the KGB. "I do believe you may be right," he drawled, looking Borodin up and down.

"Enough!" Ivanov thundered again before addressing the Major once more. "Do you deny the Earl's involvement in your mission just this spring in Austria, Major?"(8)  
(8) Emperor Waltz

"Yes, God dammit!" Klaus said vehemently. "He wasn't involved, he was in my bloody way. _Again. _Fucking the whole thing up, just like he does every time he shows up."

While Ivanov had been struggling to regain control of the situation, Borodin was activating the equipment. The plastic "telephone booth" started to hum. A moment later, the interior seemed to distort, gaining the attention of the Major and Eroica.

"So it wouldn't matter to you if we used Lord Gloria to test our equipment, would it?" Borodin asked calmly.

The Major waved a hand in the air. "You can carve him up for Christmas dinner for all I care."

"Major, that's not funny," Eroica said nervously. "Anyway, Communists don't celebrate Christmas."

"Then you're safe from being turned into Christmas dinner, aren't you?"

"Maybe _**I**_ should ask to watch when they take you into an interrogation room and torture you," Eroica fired back angrily.

"Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you?"

As with all the other KGB agents before him, Ivanov was completely thrown by the pair's by-play. The reports couldn't have gotten it _that_ wrong. He waved a hand and one of the guards took hold of the Earl.

"Major, you're not _really_ going to let them throw me in there, are you?" Eroica demanded fearfully.

The Major did not reply directly, turning instead to Borodin. "Since this is a demonstration," he said in a bored tone, "it might help if I knew what was being demonstrated."

Borodin grinned. "Are you familiar with the theory of matter transmission?"

"You mean as in, 'Beam me up, Scotty?'" the Major said in a mocking tone.

"A transporter!" Eroica gasped. "Like on Professor X?"

Everyone in the room gave him a blank look. "Oh, _really_," Eroica moaned. "Professor X.(9) On the BBC! The mysterious traveler who roams the universe in his pillar box fighting evil."  
(9) This is a parody of Doctor Who within Doctor Who itself.

"Sounds like the kind of drivel you'd enjoy," the Major snorted dismissively.

Ivanov sighed heavily. If there was a relationship between this pair, it was mutual disdain as far as he could see.

"We're wasting time," Borodin injected.

"Quite right," Ivanov replied. He waved a hand at the guard. "Throw him in."

"What! No!" Eroica exclaimed. The Lieutenant who had been following the Major came over to help the man already holding him. He struck the struggling Earl hard across the face before taking him by the arm.

"Major, do something!"

The Major stood in a stunned silence as the horrified Earl was thrust into the box, and then vanished completely.

"You idiots!" Ivanov thundered. "Your orders were to let him struggle! All that time and effort, wasted!"

"I take it I was supposed to stop that happening," Klaus said blandly. He received an angry glare in reply. "Where's he gone to?"

"No idea," Borodin replied dismissively. "We've never been able to get anything to rematerialize properly."

"What?" The Major turned a disbelieving gaze back at the booth. "Are you saying he's dead?"

"He will be when he materializes at the other end, wherever that may be," Borodin replied coldly.

"And if you don't want to be next," Ivanov rejoined, "you'll tell us what your mission is."

The Major blinked. "My mission?"

"Don't play dumb, Major. It doesn't suit you."

"My mission was to deliver Siberian Shadow and return to Germany."

Ivanov gave him a dark look. _"And…?"_

"And nothing. What do you morons _think_ I'm doing here?"

Ivanov waved a hand. "I think, rather than waste the power for Comrade Borodin's device, we should try…other means."

"I don't think so," the Major replied. _There's no way the KGB, or anyone else, is gonna take Iron Klaus alive._ He pulled his Magnum and pointed it at the Lieutenant just as he was reaching for him, stopping the man in his tracks.

"Don't just stand there! Get him!" Ivanov screamed.

No one moved.

The Major's eyes flickered. "Your men have more sense than you do."

Ivanov pulled a gun and was shot down for his trouble.

Klaus took advantage of the diversion, decking the Lieutenant. "I'm the only one who hits that bugger," he stated coldly. He stepped into the booth, a smug expression coming to his face. He turned and gave a small salute. "Do svidunia, Comrades," he said as he vanished.

* * *

**Transmat 12  
Gorbachev Complex  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

Jason was checking over the newest readings when someone across the room said, "Mr. Barnes, there's something in there again."

Jason looked up sharply. "Again?"

"Yes, sir," Barnes replied. "We've noticed…er, I don't know. Debris, I suppose. In the anomaly."

The Prince returned his attention to the monitor, his fingers flying over the controls. After a few seconds, his eyes grew wide. "That's not debris! There's someone in there!" he exclaimed. He waved a hand at the transmat booth. "Somebody close that door. Quickly. I might be able to retrieve them."

"What?" This was Barnes, who came over to see what the Alterran was looking at.

Jason did not even look up, his attention glued to the controls. "Got 'em!" he said happily and finally looked up, seeing a form slowly materializing within the booth.

Everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath as the crumpled form solidified, the individual's long blond hair covering their face.

"Goddess, it's a woman!" someone exclaimed.

"Barnes, keep an eye on the readings," Jason ordered as he crossed the room. He pulled the door open and knelt down, carefully turning the unconscious arrival onto her—_his!_—back. Jason felt his heart miss a beat when he saw the familiar face, his eyes growing wide. "My God, Dorian…" he breathed, his fingers going to the unconscious man's neck where, to his relief, he found a weak pulse.

It had been more than a century and a half since Jason and Eroica had crossed paths; long before the Alterran would learn he was to the Crown Prince of his home world. The last time Jason had seen the Earl was in the Earth year 1983 during an adventure in Iceland (1) when he was still traveling with the Doctor.  
(1) My story – _Espionage On Ice _

Jason quickly checked the unconscious Eroica over. He didn't appear much older than the last time the Alterran had seen him, so he must have entered the time corridor more or less in the same decade as the events in Iceland. The thief had a bruise forming on his face as well as a few others on his arms. Someone had been slapping him around.

Jason looked up as another thought struck him. He could think of at least one person who would not hesitate to strike the Earl. This thought had scarcely passed through the Prince's mind when Barnes called, "Sir, there's…someone else in the corridor."

"I can probably guess who," Jason said softly. He lifted Dorian into his arms and carried him from the booth, placing him gently on the floor. "Somebody call for medical help," he ordered as he rose to his feet. He returned to the controls, his eyes flashing over the readings again. "Now… let's see if I'm right."

Less then a minute later, the Major's unconscious form was materializing within the transmat, bringing a knowing smile to Jason's face. "Bingo," he said happily. "Somebody get him out of there," he then ordered. "Then I can shut this thing down."

Barnes gave him a stunned look. "I thought you said you couldn't shut it down."

"Ah. Yes, well…no. But I can throw it off-line for a while."

Jason looked up, watching impatiently as the Major was removed from the booth. The moment the door was closed, he sent an energy pulse along the corridor. To his delight, his plan worked and the time corridor vanished. An alarm sounded at the same time and he quickly silenced it. _I thought I took care of that,_ he thought as he reset the controls.

"Sir, that alarm means…"

"I am well aware of what it means, Mr. Barnes," Jason snapped impatiently. "I've already taken care of it."

The technician's eyes narrowed. The alarm meant that whoever had just materialized had been carrying a weapon, which the transmat would have removed. How, he wondered, had the Prince "taken care of it?"

Before Barnes could enquire further, Jason was turning his attention to the men he had just plucked out of thin air. The time vortex was not a place to be without adequate protection. They would've suffered severe cellular damage, even in the short time they were inside the time corridor. Medical assistance arrived just as the Prince was making his way across the room.

It was all too obvious that no one knew the first thing about treating the injuries caused by the temporal vortex. The Alterran Healer took charge of the situation. He knew that if his friends did not receive the proper treatment, and fast, they would die. It was as simple as that. And they were the only ones who could tell him the location of the entrance to the temporal corridor.

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

Borodin's mouth hung open as he stood staring at the booth where the Major had been only seconds before. Suddenly the console in front of him started to throw out sparks. He looked down at it in shock, turning to look at the dials covering the back wall.

Before the man could come to any conclusions, several circuits blew up, throwing the entire system offline and shutting down the power flowing to the booth.

"Damn, damn, damn!" Borodin screamed, thumping his fist on the console several times. He looked over at the guards, who were staring down at Ivanov's body. "Don't just stand there," he thundered. "Get that carcass out of here."

The guards looked at him and recoiled at the man's sudden, manic behavior. He always seemed to get this way when someone…disappeared in the transmat room. Just how many enemies of the State had entered over the decades never to been seen again? Many of the hardliners of the Communist Party were extremely unhappy with the "softening" of the party line. Just how many more people would disappear?

"Er, Comrade Borodin?" the Lieutenant said hesitantly. "How are we to explain this?"

Borodin looked over at the booth, a low growl rising in his throat. It would have been so simple to dispose of the body with the system online. Now they would have to take more conventional means. "I'll take care of the questions." He glared at the men, adding, "I'm sure I can rely on you all to keep what just happened to yourselves."

This obvious threat sent a collective shiver down everyone's spines.

"I fear the Comrade Director will be distressed," the Lieutenant said calmly, "when he learns how Comrade Ivanov _misunderstood_ the purpose of your demonstration to our honored guest."

Borodin smiled approvingly. "Yes. He'll be most distressed. As will the General Secretary." _I, on the other hand, am delighted. Damn fool got what was coming to him._


	7. Guests Or Prisoners?

**CHAPTER SIX**

**GUESTS OR PRISONERS?**

**_ARGO_ Flight Deck**  
** Hangar Bay 287**  
** Moscow, Russia**  
** November 2620**

Jason stood with his arms folded across his chest while his pilot Sully activated the communications system and took a seat at the console. Sully was a thin, smallish individual with sandy-blond hair that always seemed to be falling into his eyes.

"Don't you think you should be the one doing this?" Sully asked apprehensively.

"The Time Lord's are positively anal when it comes to protocol," Jason replied knowingly. "Just remember to called me your highness."

"Got it."

"If I call them directly, they'll just—" Jason broke off when the face of a Time Lord he did not recognize appeared on the communications screen in front of his pilot.

"Your security clearance code, please," the Time Lord said without preamble.

"Um…" Sully threw a nervous glance over his shoulder. "I don't have one."

"You're on a security—"

"Oh, for Pete's sake!" Jason snapped impatiently. He tapped Sully on the shoulder and the man vacated the seat, the Prince dropping down in his place. "Look, whoever you are, I'm Crown Prince Jason of Tel-Shye in the Alterran Empire," he stated coolly. "I have a priority message that I need relayed to the Doctor. I have no idea where or when he is, so you lot are going to have to find him for me and relay the message."

The Time Lord gave the Alterran a stricken look, turned to speak to someone off screen and then turned back. "One moment, please, your royal highness."

The screen flickered and another Time Lord whom Jason did not know appeared. "Your royal highness, my name is Gilgavik. How may I be of assistance?"

"I need to have a messaged relayed to the Doctor," Jason repeated. He explained about the time corridor and was surprised to learn that the Doctor was already on Earth in the time zone from which it originated. "Would I correct in assuming the origin is in Moscow some time in the latter part of the Twentieth century?"

Gilgavik's eyes grew wide. "How did you know that?"

Jason grinned. "I retrieved two men from the time corridor. The last time I saw them was in the Earth year 1983. They don't appear to be very much older, so logically…" _And then there's the dates on all their personal effects._

"You're quite correct, sir. The point of origin is the Earth year 1987."

Jason nodded. "If you'd be so kind as to let the Doctor know that I'm here, I would appreciate it. I'm going to try to lock the time corridor at this end so I can travel down it. I'll be able to meet up with him at the other end."

Gilgavik's mouth dropped open. Even a Time Lord would think twice about traveling down an unstable time corridor. "Just how do you intend to lock the corridor?" he asked.

"One of the transmats here keeps picking up the signal whenever it enters this time zone. It's probably near the site of the one in 1987 and they simply overlap."

Gilgavik nodded. "That's feasible," he agreed. "If I may, I might be able to assist you in the mechanics of locking the time corridor."

Now it was Jason's turn to be surprised. Usually the Time Lords did not volunteer anything, especially help. He listened as Gilgavik explained exactly what he needed to do, only having to ask a few questions for clarification.

Finally, the conversation ended and the communications screen when dark. Jason sat thoughtfully a few minutes before turning to his perplexed pilot.

"Now what?" Sully asked.

"Now I get my other paperwork in order."

Sully nodded absently. "Jason, was that conversation as weird as it looked?"

Jason gave a low grunt. "Weirder. I think I was talking with a CIA agent."

"Is that good or bad?"

"It depends on whether or not the Doctor knows they're involved."

"Swell." Sully threw a look across the room, suddenly remembering something else. "Uh, speaking of weird. While you were gone, something…odd came through on our own transmat." He waved a hand, indicating a box across the room.

"Ah! Yes, thank you, Sully. I forgot about that." Jason jumped to his feet and crossed to the box.

"Dare I ask…?"

The Prince looked up and smiled. "It belongs to a friend."

"Jason, if you don't mind my saying so, you have some very strange friends."

Jason laughed. "My dear Sully, I will not argue with you there."

* * *

**Gorbachev Complex  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

After his disconcerting contact with Gallifrey, Prince Jason returned to the main offices and spent several hours sorting out the proper paperwork that would allow him to remain on Earth. He also made certain all the proper paperwork was filed that would allow him to more fully assist Technician Barnes and his team with Transmat 12. This would clear the way for him to take charge of the two men—the two friends—he had plucked from the time corridor. It was morning before he was finally able to make the journey to the infirmary to check on their progress.

"How are the patients?" Jason asked his aide as they made their way through the building.

"According to Dr. Topov, they're responding quite well to the treatment you prescribed, sir," Rosewood replied.

"Good. With any luck, I'll be able to…" Jason's voice trailed off as he pushed open the door to the infirmary. Further within, he heard a single raised voice and could not help but smile. _Responding well indeed. Poor Topov_. He threw a knowing look over at his confused aide. "Somebody isn't happy. And I don't even have to guess who."

Following the voice, Jason pushed open a door to find Dr. Topov attempting to separate his patients. The Prince had to stifle a laugh when he saw the Major wrapped in a sheet and screaming at Eroica at the top of his voice.

"How many times have you interfered in my life, you Goddamn faggot?" the Major ranted.

Eroica was sitting up in bed, his arms crossed. "You can't blame any of this on me, Major."

"Then what the hell are you doing in the Soviet Union?"

"I told you. I went to Leningrad on legitimate business. It was your bloody spies who dragged me to Moscow under false pretenses."

"I can't believe that you were stupid enough to trust the KGB!"

"I didn't _know_ it was the KGB," Eroica countered forcefully. "I thought I was dealing with a legitimate art broker. You don't think I'd willingly work with those barbarians, do you?"

"Idiot! The KGB watches every westerner who sets foot in this country."

Eroica gave a derisive snort and turned away in annoyance.

Dr. Topov seized the opportunity to intervene. "Gentlemen, please…"

The Major glared at the physician, who flinched away from his cold, hard green eyes. This allowed Jason to seize the opportunity himself and he cleared his throat loudly.

The Major turned, seeing the Prince and his aide at the door. He drew himself to his full height, eyeing them suspiciously. He took in the Alterran's royal finery with a distinct air of distaste.

Jason watched this display in admiration, an amused smile coming to his face. _You've got to give the man credit, even wrapped in a sheet, he can be damned intimidating. Thank God he doesn't have a gun._

Dr. Topov had a different reaction. "Your royal highness, thank goodness!" he cried, crossing to the amused Prince Jason. "I'm at my wit's end."

"Not too long a journey," Klaus snorted.

"I can see a trip through a temporal corridor hasn't affected your charming disposition," Jason observed mildly.

Klaus continued to eye him suspiciously. "Are you the one in charge?"

"So it would appear, Major Eberbach," Jason replied mildly, a small smile coming to his face at the stunned expression this produced. He turned to the overwhelmed Dr. Topov, asking, "Doctor, are your patients fit to be released?"

"Yes. Yes!" Topov replied gratefully. "More than fit."

"Good."

Jason looked up, seeing the Major pull the sheet further around himself. "Dr. Topov, I think Major Eberbach would be more comfortable in his own clothes."

"What about me?" Eroica called from across the room. It was unusual for him to be ignored and he was feeling distinctly put out by it.

The Alterran gave him a steady look. "I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in the Major's clothes, too, Lord Gloria. But you're going to have to settle for your own."

Eroica blinked, his mouth dropping open.

The Major's face darkened, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded. "What exactly is this place? How did we get here?"

"I'm afraid the answers to those questions aren't all that simple, Major," Jason replied evasively. "And they'll take quite some time to explain."

The Major snorted, waving a hand in the air. "Typical KGB response."

Jason gave him a dark look. "I've been compared to quite a few things in my life, but never to one of those thugs."

"The Major thinks everyone is KGB," Eroica said matter-of-factly.

"What else would you find in KGB Headquarters, you idiot! Boy Scouts?" the Major countered fiercely.

Jason sighed heavily before he turned to Dr. Topov, saying quietly, "You'll need to give the Major some privacy when he dresses, Doctor. He's quite the homophobe when Lord Gloria is around." Seeing the hundreds of questions about to spring from the man's mouth, the Prince said quickly, "Don't argue. Just do it. I have to get the last of the paperwork sorted out so I can officially take charge of my…um, _guests._ I'll have someone come to collect them in a bit." So saying, he turned on his heel and left.

* * *

The Prince made straight for the administrative offices where his paperwork was supposed to be waiting. He soon learned that there had been one delay after another. He finally had to resort to contacting Gallifrey again. Once more, the CIA intercepted his communication. He explained the situation and was pleased when the Time Lord on the screen asked to speak with the person in charge.

Jason could not prevent an amused smile from coming to his face as the stodgy Earth official that he had been dealing with was effectively dressed down. Somehow, it made the delay worth it.

* * *

Within half an hour after the Prince left them, the Major and Eroica were dressed in their own clothes and waiting for the promised escort. Dr. Topov had made himself scarce in the interim. A uniformed officer eventually appeared at the door and took in the pair in obvious distaste. "You men, come with me," he ordered.

Klaus looked the soldier up and down, crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter that was behind him. "Where?" he demanded.

"I ask the questions around here."

"Oh, this is starting out well," Eroica said aridly from his place across the room.

The officer glanced down at a document in his hand. "Which one of you is Major Abberbatch? And which is…" He paused and frowned before asking, "Lordglory?" He looked from one to the other.

Eroica saw the Major roll his eyes as their names were mangled. Then the German turned a conspiratorial look in his direction. The Earl gave a slight nod, being inwardly grateful that for once he wasn't dressed in his usual, flamboyant style. He had been thrown into the transmat still wearing his very respectable Armani suit.

"Who wants to know?" Eroica asked, trying to make his voice sound official.

"Captain Stavin," came the succinct reply.

The Major gave a derisive snort. "Not Stalin?"

The Captain gave him a cold look. "Just come with me."

"And if we refuse?"

The Captain put a hand on his weapon. "I wouldn't want to have to use this."

"I'll bet you wouldn't," Eroica said caustically. He could tell that the Major was already sizing the man up. Iron Klaus had considerably more experience in these situations than he did. So, as in all the other occasions when this happened, Eroica simply followed the officer's lead.

Klaus gave the Captain a dark look but did not respond. This man's appearance only seemed to confirm his suspicions that they were still being held by the KGB and everything that had gone before was an elaborate charade. Why, he did not know. But he was not about to let anything slip and, fortunately, Eroica was intelligent enough to go along with whatever he said.

* * *

After several minutes walk, the Captain indicated a door. "In there," he ordered.

Eroica threw a quick glance in the Major's direction, receiving a non-committal shrug. With no other alternative, he pushed open the door. The pair found themselves in a kind of control room. There was a console covered with dials and buttons set before a large window overlooking a room containing nothing but an odd looking relining couch.

Eroica scowled, puzzled by what he saw. He heard the Major catch his breath and glanced over at him, seeing a startled expression on his face. He looked back into the room, the obvious question leaping to mind. However, since Captain Stavin clearly did not know their identities, Eroica was not about to give anything away. He gave the officer a steady look, mouthed the "M" in Major before saying quietly, "Klaus, do you know what that is?"

Even though he knew what Eroica was doing, annoyance briefly flashed across the Major's face. "I've seen the plans for something like it. This must be the prototype."

"I'm guessing that's not good."

"You guessed right."

"Enough chatter," the Captain snapped. Since the Major was closest to him, he took him by the arm and pulled him toward the door leading to the next room. To his astonishment, his prisoner forcefully pulled his arm out of his grasp.

"First we're your patients, now we're your prisoners?" Klaus observed coldly. "The hot and cold treatment. Is that how this works?"

"Actually, this is how it works. I ask the questions. You give the answers," the Captain replied, taking hold of the Major's arm again.

"Like hell," Klaus snarled back, pulling his arm away a second time. He stood glaring at the dumbfounded officer, wishing he knew what had happened to his gun.

Four men suddenly seemed to appear out of nowhere. Eroica actually jumped when someone abruptly took hold of him and dragged him across the room. He was thrust up against the wall and manacled to in, his hands at his sides.

A smallish individual took a seat at the control desk while two others assisted the Captain in bodily dragging the protesting Klaus into the next room where he was forced onto the couch and strapped down.

Eroica watched in an appalled silence as a bizarre helmet was placed on the struggling Major's head. It seemed to have dozens of wires coming out of it. There were thick pins sticking out of the sides that allowed it to be locked into place. "What is that?" he asked in a horrified whisper as the Major's head was immobilized.

The operator looked at him as if he were stupid. "Haven't you ever seen a mind probe before?"

Eroica felt all the blood drain from his face. "Mind probe…" he repeated dully, his eyes returning to the scene in the next room. The Major was completely strapped down and struggling for all his was worth.

"This will be a lot easier if you just cooperate," the Captain said blandly, dismissing the others with a wave of his hand.

"Go fuck yourself!" Klaus snarled back.

The Captain controlled himself with visible effort as he returned to the control room. He looked through window at his struggling prisoner and then threw a quick look over at the aghast Eroica before ordering, "Activate."

The same instant, Klaus caught his breath, his body going rigid as the helmet came to life, power stabbing into his brain.

"Now, we'll start this off with an easy question," the Captain said blandly, leaning close to a microphone that was attached to the control desk. "What's your name?"

From his position in the room, the Major could see into the control room. He glared defiantly at the Captain, choosing to reply with several more carefully chosen obscenities.

"Come now, it's a simple enough question? What's your name?"

"I thought you already knew who we were." This was Eroica, who was trying very had not to show how completely terrified he was. He flinched when the Captain turned an icy stare in his direction.

"What makes you say that?"

"How else would you know to ask for someone called Major?" came the logical reply.

"Shut up, you stupid limey!" Klaus called from the next room.

The Captain's head snapped around. "Now, we're getting somewhere," he said happily. Then to the operator, he ordered, "Increase the power."

"But, sir, I'm still not getting anything," the operator protested.

"Then increase the power!"

Klaus responded with a scream that was a combination of pain and rage, and strained against the straps holding him down.

"Stop it!" Eroica screamed, pulling unsuccessfully at his bindings. "Why are you doing this? We're perfectly harmless."

"Then why won't he tell me his name?" the Captain demanded.

"Because he's a thickheaded Prussian, that's why!"

The Major gritted his teeth, staunchly refusing to answer any questions. The power was increased again, tearing another enraged cry from his throat. He writhed in his bonds as the device clawed savagely at his brain.

"Name! What's your name?" the Captain demanded.

"He won't tell you because you want to know!" Eroica cried out desperately.

The Captain saw the anguished expression on the thief's face and gave a wry smile. He crossed to him, slamming him forcefully back against the wall. "Then _you_ tell me his name. Why are you here? Who are you both? How did you get past security?"

Eroica's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "You mean…you really don't know?"

The Captain ground his teeth and struck Eroica hard across the face. "What is his name?" he snarled, slamming his captive back against the wall and pinning him there. "You _will_ tell me."

A hand suddenly seized the front of the Captain's uniform and forcefully yanked him back.

"No, _**I**_ will tell you," an angry voice replied as the officer was slammed into the wall beside Eroica with such force that it practically knocked the breath out of him. "His name is Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach. He's a Major with NATO Intelligence. And you will release him this _instant!_"


	8. My Guests, I Believe

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**MY GUESTS, I BELIEVE**

When the stunned Captain recovered his breath, he saw an enraged Prince Jason holding him against the wall with one hand, a look of thunder on his face. Rosewood was just outside the door trying his best to stay out of the way.

"On whose authority?" the Captain finally demanded, trying and failing to sound forceful.

_"Mine."_

"And just who the hell are you?"

The mind probe operator cleared his throat nervously. "He's Crown Prince Jason of Tel-Shye, Captain."

The officer looked the Alterran up and down. "Prince Jason left yesterday."

"Obviously not," Jason replied coldly. He turned to the operator. "Turn that abomination off. _Now!"_

"But…"

A low growl rose up in Jason's throat. With his free hand, he took the weapon from the astonished Captain's belt and fired a laser bolt into the control panel. The operator dove for cover as the device exploded into a show of sparks, instantly ending the Major's torment.

Jason turned back to the officer still in his grasp. "What the hell do you think you're doing to my guests?" he demanded as he finally released his grip.

"I'm following orders," the Captain replied coolly, making a show of straightening his uniform.

This was never the answer to give to the Alterran Prince. He stiffened visibly, his eye narrowing as his face darkened further. "Following orders?" he repeated coldly.

"Yes."

"_Whose_ orders?"

"With all due respect, that's not your concern," the Captain replied, added in a condescending tone, "_Sir_."

Jason gave another low growled. "I disagree." He threw a glance in Eroica's direction, ordering, "And get those things off Lord Gloria."

The officer grudgingly removed the manacles from the bewildered and still terrified Eroica. "This is an Earth matter, sir. Not really your concern," the Captain said, turning back to the Prince.

"This is no time for xenophobia, Captain. Not with a temporal corridor operating unchecked."

The Captain gave a derisive snort. "You can't possibly believe that story about these two being from the Twentieth century."

"It happens to be true."

"It would explain the lack of any reading on the equipment, Captain," the mind probe operator injected from his place under the control desk. He flinched back when the officer gave him a dark look and snarled, "Shut up!" before turning back to the Alterran aristocrat.

Jason pulled a document from inside his jacket and held it out. "This is the authorization giving me complete autonomy in this matter. In other words, _Captain_, you are to follow _my_ orders. Is that understood?"

The officer decided on a different tact. "With all due respect, sir, do you think you can handle something like this?" he asked contemptuously.

"Are you questioning my abilities now?"

"You're from a race of pacifists, aren't you? Non-violent? Do you really think you can get better results than a trained professional?"

"Trained professional?" Jason's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as the officer continued to glare smugly at him. "Don't try my patience, Captain. You do _not_ want me to lose my temper," he said warningly.

"Oh, I'm scared."

This was the final straw. Without warning, Jason took the officer by the throat and slammed him back into the wall. The Alterran's bright blue eyes were practically glowing with his outrage. "You should be, you condescending bastard!"

It was all too obvious to the watching Eroica that Jason was controlling himself with considerable effort. It seemed as though the Prince had to force himself to release his grip on the man's throat.

"Now, get out!" Jason's voice dropped in pitch as he added coldly, "Get out before I _kill_ you."

The Captain blanched visibly. This was no idle threat. This supposedly non-violent Alterran Prince had a grip like iron and had been within a hairsbreadth of snapping his neck. He also still had his gun in his hand. Without another word, the officer fled the room.

Eroica felt a chill run down his spine as the Prince ordered the man out, his voice sounding as if it came from the depths of hell. The glowing blue eyes were slowly turned in his direction and he flinched, afraid of what this demon was about to do to him. The "demon" seemed to sense his panic and closed his eyes, taking a moment to get control of himself. When he opened his eyes again, they were no longer glowing and his face had softening considerably.

"Did he hurt you?" Jason asked gently.

"Yes…no…I…I'll recover," Eroica stammered out shakily.

Jason smiled and then turned to the mind probe operator, who was still cowering on the floor. "Out," he ordered, sending the man scurrying to the exit.

Jason looked at his bewildered and awestruck aide, who was still standing outside the door and feeling very grateful that he had not been on the receiving end of any of what he had just witnessed. "Rosewood, have someone not connected with that…_barbarian_ sent up here. I'm going to need an escort."

Rosewood gave a slight bow. "Yes, sir." He gave Eroica a questioning look. "And this gentleman?"

"Lord Gloria is staying with me."

Eroica gave the Alterran a frightened look. "I am?"

"Would you rather go with the Captain?"

"No. But am I any safer with you?"

Jason could not help but smile at this. "Considerably." He turned his attention to the next room, where the Major lay unconscious on the couch. He made certain the mind probe console was completely deactivated, firing another laser bolt into it and then finishing up by ripping the control circuit from its slot.

Eroica reluctantly followed his rescuer as far as the door and then stopped, uncertain as to his status. Was he really this lunatic's guest? Or his prisoner?

Jason carefully removed the mind probe helmet and then checked the unconscious officer's condition. "Talk to me, Major." He put a hand under the Major's chin and slapped him on the cheek. "Come on. Come back to us…"

Klaus opened his eyes slightly, muttered something, and closed them again.

Much to the amazement of the watching Eroica, Jason suddenly switched from English to German. "Klaus! Come on, Klaus, talk to me!" He commanded, slapping the officer's face harder. "Better yet, swear at me."

The Major continued to mutter incoherently.

Jason threw a quick glance over at the control room, seeing the concerned and frightened Eroica still hovering reluctantly in the doorway. "Dorian, talk to him," he said, effortlessly switching back to English. "He knows your voice."

Eroica was torn between demanding to know how this individual knew so much about them, and helping to revive the semi-conscious Klaus. He chose the latter, concluding that the Major would no doubt be demanding answers the instant he was lucid.

Crossing the room, he asked, "What do I say?"

"Tell him that you love him," Jason replied startlingly.

Eroica stopped dead. "What?"

"He needs to fight his way back."

"He'll do more than fight his way back, if I tell him that. He'll take a swing at me."

"Then it's a good thing he's still strapped down, isn't it?" Jason said aridly. "He needs to fight and the best way to do that is to get him mad. That isn't too hard with him, as I recall."

"How do you know that?" Eroica demanded. "Look, just who are you? How do you know us?"

"Not now, Dorian!" Jason snapped impatiently, turning his attention back to the Major.

Eroica wasn't sure if it was the tone, the phrase, or just his general manner, but suddenly he knew who the Alterran Prince was. "Jason…" he said in a small voice. "They said…you were Prince _Jason._"

Jason looked up, a small smile on his face. "Does that mean you're going to start hitting on me now?"

"Bloody hell, it is you! But…it can't be."

"I didn't think I'd changed that much."

"Changed! The last time I saw you, you looked like an overgrown porcelain figurine."

"Can this wait until _after_ we've revived the Major?" Jason asked practically.

Eroica blinked and then pulled himself together. He sized up the situation and drew a deep breath. "You really want me to make him angry?"

"The madder, the better."

"Alright. But you'd better tell him this was your idea." Eroica sat down on the couch and leaned close to the Major's ear. "Major, can you hear me? Will you hit me, if I tell you I love you?" He received an unintelligible grunt in reply.

Eroica stroked the Major's cheek. "You really are a work of art. Shall I kiss you, my sleeping beauty?"

The Major opened his eyes slightly and gave the thief an unfocused look.

"It's working, keep going," Jason encouraged.

Eroica leaned down to give the Major a kiss and was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"I said _talk_ to him," Jason said warningly.

"Spoilsport."

"I'll let him hit you."

"Fine."

Eroica laid across the Major's chest and continued to gently stroke his cheek. "It's too bad we're in Russia. The summer would be so much nicer at Castle Gloria, don't you think? Or Schloss Eberbach. All that lovely mountain air…" He had to stifle a giggle at his jib at the less than mountainous location of the Schloss, but it had the desired affect.

"What foppish nonsense…" the Major muttered groggily.

A delighted grin spread across Jason's face and he motioned for the thief to keep going.

"Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach. The infamous Iron Klaus. Bane of the KGB, Neo Nazis, and international spy networks," Eroica whispered seductively. "Finally, I have you where I want you."

The Major struggled to focus his eyes, finding the weight on his chest to be Eroica lying on top of him. He stared at the enormous blue eyes in horror, his mind unable to take in what he was seeing.

"I have you in my power, Major," Eroica cooed softly, fluttering his eyelashes.

Klaus stared for a full ten seconds before he finally exploded. "Get off me, you bloody faggot!" When he tried to push Eroica away, he discovered he was still strapped down and started to struggle. "Let me out of this thing so I can _kill_ you!" He went on to issue a stream of curses in German.

Eroica grinned and looked up at Jason. "Success, I think."

"What are you talking about?" the Major demanded, still struggling unsuccessfully to free himself. "And get off of me, you Goddamn pervert!" A sudden thought struck him and stopped struggling, giving Eroica a stricken look. "What have you been doing to me while I was unconscious?"

"Nothing unseemly, Major," Jason replied calmly as he started removing the officer's bindings. "A mind probe can scramble one's brain permanently. Dorian was just helping me bring you back to reality."

"How? By having him molest me?"

"No, by getting you angry, which in your case isn't all that difficult."

Jason finished unfastening the restraints and took the Major by the arm, pulling him to a sitting position before he knew what was happening. He gave the officer a moment to regain his equilibrium and then looked him in the eye. "Major, I'm telling you right now, you're not going to be able to walk on your own. So, you have one of two choices. You can either let me help you, or let me carry you."

"Or I could," Eroica offered happily.

Klaus threw an angry look in Eroica's direction. After what had just happened, he did not want the faggot anywhere near him. He turned back to his rescuer. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded as forcefully as he could manage.

"I'm Jason Krystovan," the Prince replied simply. "I used to travel with the Doctor in the TARDIS. The last time we met was in 1983 in Iceland."

"Iceland?" Klaus put a hand to his head. His mind was still fuzzy, but he recalled the incident vividly. Jason had saved his life and he had gone on to return the favor. "The mission on the glacier?"

"Yes."

The Major gave the Alterran an unfocused look. As with Eroica, the last time he had seen Jason, he was recovering from a sonic attack and was snow white from head to foot, his body covered with tiny fracture lines. "Why…? How…?"

Jason grinned. "One step at a time. First, let's get you two somewhere safe."

"Then take us out of this building."

"Why?"

"We aren't safe anywhere in KGB Headquarters."

Jason nodded. "A fair point," he agreed. "But you're not in KGB Headquarters. Not anymore." He did not wait for a reply. He put one of the Major's arms over his shoulder and then pulled him to his feet, having to support nearly all of his weight.

Klaus wanted to protest, but realized he was too weak to give any kind of effective resistance. He was having a difficult time just focusing his thoughts, his legs felt like rubber, and he desperately needed a cigarette. He chose instead to simply go along with what his apparent rescuer said until he was strong enough to fight back.

Jason looked up to see Eroica staring in horror across the room. He followed his gaze, seeing Sully standing in the doorway, an enormous grin on his face and an even more enormous laser rifle in his hands.

"Don't panic, Dorian. That's my pilot," the Prince said mildly before addressing the man at the door. "Sully, what on Earth, _literally_, are you doing here? And where the hell did you get that cannon?"

"Rosewood said you wanted someone not connected with Earth security. Well, that's me. He also said you needed an escort. I figured that meant you'd be heading to the _ARGO_."

"You figured right," came the relieved reply. "To the _ARGO_, if you please."

The pilot flashed a bright smile before turning on his heel to lead the way out of the room.

"What is the _ARGO_?" the Major asked as forcefully as he could. "Where are you taking us?"

"The _ARGO_ is my ship. I'll be able to check you over better once we're there." Jason felt the Major's body stiffen in response to this and could not help but laugh. "Major," he said quietly, "I'm a Healer. My interest in your body is strictly professional."

"That doesn't make me feel better," the Major replied shakily. "So was that Captain's."

Eroica gave a small cry. "Major, was that an actual joke?" he gasped playfully.

The Major gave him a dark look. "Idiot."

"No such luck," Jason replied amusedly. "I think his brain is still too scrambled."

"That doesn't make me feel better, either," the Major rejoined. This time, he allowed a small smile to come to his face.


	9. A Safe Place

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

**A SAFE PLACE**

**Director Chebrikov's Office**  
**The Lubyanka**  
**Moscow, Soviet Union**  
**August 1987**

The Doctor and Turlough arrived at KGB Headquarters to find it in chaos. The death of Ivanov and disappearance of Iron Klaus had turned everything on its head and the powers that be were scrambling to keep a lid on things as well as cover their political asses.

The Doctor and his companion were taken to the Director Chebrikov's office to learn that he had already been informed as to the reason for their visit—more or less. The Doctor found it amusing that, in order not to raise the suspicions of the already suspicious KGB, the Director had been informed that the pair had been moles within the British scientific community who had recently been extracted so as not to "rock the boat" in the furtherance of the General Secretary's new policies.

Then the mess with Iron Klaus had gone and upset the apple cart.

"You're a day late, Comrade Doctor," the Director said gravely.

"I don't understand?" the Doctor replied, exchanging a bewildered look with Turlough.

"The equipment you came to investigate has already been shut down."

"It has?"

"There was an…accident."

The Doctor's eyebrows went up. "Accident? If you could be a bit more specific?"

Director Chebrikov sighed heavily. "There was an agent here. From the West. A guest of the General Secretary, in fact. He was being given a demonstration of the equipment when one of my people…intervened, shall we say."

"I'm going to assume there was an altercation."

"To put it mildly. My man was killed and one of the West's top intelligence officers was pushed into the matter transmitter," the Director said darkly.

The Doctor's mouth dropped open. This would not sit too well with the West. And considering the volatile political state… "What was the reaction of the West when…?" His voice trailed off when a disconcerted expression came to the Director's face. "You haven't told them yet, have you?"

"No. I haven't even told the General Secretary yet."

The Doctor's eyebrows went up. "You'll pardon my saying this, but you will have to tell them sooner or later."

"I am rather hoping for later. After you and your associate have verified that the equipment is faulty and there was nothing we could do to prevent Iron Klaus from—"

"Iron Klaus!" the Doctor gasped. "Major von dem Eberbach, _that_ Iron Klaus?

"Yes. You know his reputation?"

"To say the least."

"Then you also understand my…concerns."

"Only too clearly." The Doctor knew all about the ongoing campaign of the KGB to get hold of the NATO officer. He could not help but wonder at the events that had transpired that would see the Major willingly entering the lion's den, as it were. "We won't say anything, Comrade Director," the Doctor said finally. "The General Secretary wishes that we investigate the equipment. We'll give our findings to you once we've finished and _you_ can pass them on to the appropriate agencies."

The Director nodded approvingly. "If you would like to get started, I'll have someone take you to the experimental section."

"I'm supposed to be having some equipment delivered, too," the Doctor informed.

"It will be taken to the experimental level when it arrives."

"Thank you."

* * *

**Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

The journey to the _ARGO_ was not a lengthy one, but it was still long enough to completely exhaust the already exhausted Major. Jason could feel the officer growing steadily weaker as the journey progressed, taking more and more of his weight as they went. The elevator taking the group to the hangar level gave a slight jolt when it arrived at the correct floor, which was all that was necessary for the Major's knees to finally give way.

"Alright, that's enough walking for you," Jason said calmly as he swept the officer into his arms. The doors opened at that moment and he strode swiftly toward his waiting shuttle.

Klaus was almost grateful when he was lifted from the floor and caught himself on the verge of relaxing. _No, don't relax! It's too dangerous. Don't relax. The Earl's a civilian. He won't know it's a trick. Don't let your guard down! Think, dammit!_

The Major struggled to concentrate his still scrambled brain. He attempted to protest, but was too weak to manage more than a few growled words before his strength finally failed him and he passed out.

"Major!" Eroica gasped when he saw the Major's head slump against Jason's shoulder.

"Don't panic, Dorian, he's alright," Jason said calmly. "Between the trip down the time corridor and the mind probe, he's completely tapped out." He threw a quick look over to his pilot. "Sully, the hatch, please."

Sully jogged ahead, opening the _ARGO_'s main hatch.

Eroica took in the Prince's shuttle in an awestruck silence. It was the first alien space ship he had ever seen. Well, yes, he'd seen the Doctor's TARDIS, but that wasn't what one would call a _normal_ space ship. After all, it looked like a Police Box, for pity's sake. And it was bigger on the inside than on the outside—and a time machine. Then again, he _had_ seen the space ship that was trapped in a glacier in Iceland, but that was only large enough to hold a single occupant. The _ARGO_ was enormous by comparison.

_If this is a shuttle, what does a normal space ship look like?_ Eroica wondered as he hesitantly followed Jason inside.

Jason made straight for the sickbay, placing the Major on an examination couch that was against the far wall. He touched a button and a display came to life above the table.

Eroica watched in a combination of fascination and ill ease as Jason checked the Major's condition. Then the Alterran went to the computer where his fingers practically flew over an entry pad, punching in information faster than Eroica ever thought possible. It wasn't until a small silver cylinder appeared in Jason's hand that the thief became suspicious. _Is this for real? Or is it as the Major said? A KGB trick._

"What is that?" Eroica heard himself practically demanding.

Jason turned, the Earl's suspicious tone surprising him. "It's a deranger drug, if that tells you anything."

"Deranger?"

"Yes. The Major's brain chemistry is out of whack, thanks to that horror of modern technology. This will help it get back to normal."

Eroica hesitantly drew nearer, giving the officer a closer look. He was out cold. "What…?" Looking up, he asked, "What happens if you _don't_ give it to him?"

Jason's eyes narrowed. "Dorian, don't you trust me anymore?"

Eroica met the inquiring gaze. "I trust _Jason_. I'm…just not sure…"

"—if that's who I am." Jason completed with a small sigh. "Fair enough. You've had an awful lot thrown at you in the last couple of hours." He threw a quick glance at his patient. "If I don't use the medication, nothing will happen. It will just take a lot longer for the Major's system to get back to normal."

This seemed reasonable. "How much longer?" Eroica then asked.

"Days instead of hours." Jason turned to the bed and injected the medication before Dorian could object further. "And I don't have days."

Eroica took a small, fearful step back. This could _not_ be the same Jason Krystovan that he remembered. He couldn't image the mild mannered Alterran with that look of unbridled rage he had seen in the mind probe room. He had seen the Major with that look in his eyes. The look of a man who could kill without a second thought.

Jason started to remove the Major's jacket, returning Eroica to reality and regaining his full attention. "What're you doing?" he asked in as even a tone as possible.

"What do you think I'm—" Jason broke off, recalling who he was speaking to. "Check that. It's not what you think," he replied. "He'll be out for a while. I'm just making him more comfortable." He went on to remove the officer's tie and loosen his shirt, finishing up by removing his shoes. "That should do," he said as he covered his patient with a blanket. "He'll be back to his bad-tempered self as soon as he wakes up."

Eroica gave a weak smile when the Alterran glanced at him.

Jason hung up the Major's jacket and turned to face him. "And now you…" he said mildly.

"What about me?"

"Will you at least let me have a look at those bruises on your face?"

Eroica's eyes grew wide. "_What_ bruises on my face?"

Jason could not help but grin at this. He directed the thief to a mirror, watching in an amused silence as Eroica appraised the damage the Captain had done to his face, which only compounded the damage done by the Lieutenant in the Lubyanka.

"Bloody hell!" Eroica gasped. He looked down at the spots of blood on his suit coat. "This is an Armani suit. And I'm bleeding all over it. Look at me."

"I have been."

"James will have a stroke when he sees this," Eroica said as he tried unsuccessfully to dab up the blood with his handkerchief. He looked up and said accusingly, "Why didn't you tell me I looked like this _before_ you waltzed me through that building?"

"What would you've done? Changed your clothes and put some makeup on?"

"Yes!"

Jason's eyebrows went up. He knew Dorian was vain, but didn't realize he was _that_ vain. He shook his head, indicating another examination bed. "Hop up there and I'll take care of that cut for you."

Eroica's eyes narrowed. "How?"

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve," the Alterran Healer replied with a grin. "I have something I can put on the bruises that'll conceal them until they heal."

Eroica considered before agreeing and climbing onto the table. "Alright," he replied, having to stifle a yawn at the same time. "Oh dear, pardon me."

"I think after we're finished here, I should get you to bed." Jason saw an all too familiar look flash across the thief's face and quickly added, _"To sleep."_

"Spoilsport."

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The Doctor's TARDIS was delivered to the experimental section within minutes of his arrival. It was placed in a room not too far from where the experimental matter transmitter was housed.

"Alright, Doctor," Turlough sighed. "We're here. Now what do we do, exactly?"

"First, we take a few readings," the Time Lord replied as he unlocked the TARDIS and entered. "We need to see if there's any temporal leakage."

Turlough scowled. "Temporal leakage?"

"Yes. A device like that can cause all kinds of damage to the—" The Doctor broke off when the communication system gave a beep. "Now what?" He gave his companion a long suffering look. "Go to the workshop and clear my workbench, will you? I'll meet you there after I've seen what they want now."

"Gladly," Turlough replied as he vanished through the inner door.

The Doctor acknowledged the incoming hail and then listened in amazement as Jason's message was relayed to him.

* * *

**_ARGO_ Sickbay  
Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

As Jason applied the artificial skin to Eroica's face, he noticed the thief seemed to be relaxing slightly. "Do you still think I'm not the real thing?" he asked mildly.

Eroica gave the Alterran a steady look. "I don't know what to think. You…look like the Jason I knew. And you certainly sound like him."

Jason's eyebrows went up. _"But…?"_ he prompted. "How am I different than before?" he asked, adding quickly, "Other than the clothes, that is."

"Clothes! Bugger the clothes. You're a Prince. I don't remember _that_ ever coming up."

"Well, that's because I wasn't a Prince then." Jason drew a deep breath. "My planet has a very strange act of succession. Our King died rather suddenly, and without issue. Unlike your country, where they just pluck up the next available relative, on my planet, the oldest member of the Royal Bloodline is successor. Unfortunately, that happened to be my father."

Eroica's eyebrows went up. "Unfortunately?"

"I make a lousy Crown Prince."

Eroica could not help but laugh at the downcast expression on Jason's face.

"My God, Dorian, was that an actual laugh?"

"I haven't been _that_ serious, surely?"

"You haven't exactly been flouncing around the room, either."

"Jason, I did get beaten up," Eroica pointed out darkly. "That Captain hit me. In the face!"

"Jason!" the Alterran squeaked. "Finally."

Eroica sat up and made a show of pushing his blond curls over one shoulder. "I can't exactly call you 'Hey, you,' can I?"

"No, but if you really thought I were someone else, you'd call me 'your highness,'" Jason pointed out.

"Perhaps…"

Jason flashed a broad smile. "Hop down from there. You can sleep in the guest cabin."

Eroica stiffened slightly. "Can't I just…sleep here?" he asked nervously.

"Here?" Jason replied guardedly. He threw a meaningful glance at the peacefully sleeping Klaus across the room.

"It's not like that!" Eroica said defensively. "I just… I'd rather not be alone."

_"Why?"_

Eroica shifted uncomfortably. "It's a bit embarrassing, actually."

"Dorian, if you want me to leave you alone, in the same room with the Major while he's incapable of killing you should you decide to crawl into bed with him, you'd better give me a damn good reason why."

"Christ, you really _are_ Jason, aren't you?"

"Yes. And you're avoiding the question."

"Alright." Eroica drew a deep breath, explaining about his encounter with a statue that seemed to move on its own. (10) Its subsequent disappearance after apparently saving his life. How this was followed by his inability to sleep alone, fear of the dark, of shadows, of…practically everything.(8)  
(10) Eau de Cologne: Seduction On The Rhine  
(8) Emperor Waltz

Jason was taken aback by this admission. "When did all this happen?"

"A few months ago."

"And you still—"

Eroica held up his hands. "No, no. I'm cured. Well…for the most part."

"For the most part?"

"What good is a thief who's afraid of the dark? Anyway, when the opportunity to act as a legitimate art appraiser came my way, I jumped at it. Just in case I relapsed or something."

"Uh, huh."

"You don't believe me," Eroica said sulkily.

"I might…" Jason countered. He pulled a small pouch from his pocket. "If you hadn't been carrying the pocket dimension the Doctor gave you in Iceland. Complete with a false lining and loaded with some very impressive trinkets."

"I'm not retired _yet_."

Jason gave him a disapproving sideways glance.

"Anyway," Eroica went on defensively, "the Doctor said I could keep everything I stole."

"I don't recall his including _this_ in the deal."

"He didn't _not_ include it, either."

Jason rolled his eyes, accepting defeat. There was no way he would win a logical argument against Dorian's convoluted logic. He held out the pouch. "Okay, here. You might as well have this back."

Eroica grinned and quickly pocketed the pouch. "So, can I stay here, then?"

"Dorian, if you don't behave yourself, I'll take the concealer off your face and make you walk around—"

"I promise to behave myself," Eroica said quickly, holding up his right hand. "Swear on the Bible, cross my heart, whatever you say."

Jason gave him a steady look and finally relented. He already knew that it would be impossible for Dorian to get near the Major. He had placed an energy field around the officer to assist in the healing process. It was only a matter of pressing a few more buttons to turn it into a force field. If Dorian did try to touch the Major, he would be in for a very nasty shock. _Which would serve him right for lying to me,_ Jason thought, a knowing smile coming to his face.

"Give me your jacket," the Alterran said suddenly. "I'll have it cleaned while you're sleeping."

"You'll never get the blood out," Eroica pouted as he removed the stained garment.

"Oh, you'd be surprise."

Eroica gave the Alterran a steady look. "After all that's happened, I doubt it."

"Touché."

Jason exchanged a blanket for the suit coat. "I have to contact a few people. I'll be back to check on you both in a couple hours." He watched as Eroica wrapped himself in the blanket and kicked off his shoes before laying back on the padded surface. He received a nervous look and gave a small smile. "You _will_ be safe aboard the _ARGO_, Dorian. I hope you believe that."

Eroica nodded but did not reply.

Jason chose not to press the issue. He headed for the door, turning down the lights in the room before he left, the door closing noiselessly behind him.

Eroica pulled the blanket tighter around himself. He looked across the room where the Major was still sleeping soundly. It was strangely comforting being this close to him, knowing he might awaken at any moment. Of course, he would probably yell at him for being in the same room, not that that mattered. At least it would be something familiar in the midst of so much alien technology, Eroica thought as he lay watching the lights flashing on the panel above the Major's bed. Within a few minutes, and without even realizing, he dozed off.


	10. Disapperances

**CHAPTER NINE**

**DISAPPEARANCES**

**The Lubyanka**  
**Moscow, Soviet Union**  
**August 1987**

"Curiouser and curiouser," the Doctor muttered as he moved from panel to panel, checking the readings on the control console.

"Something tells me this is more than a matter transmission experiment gone wrong," Turlough observed darkly.

The Doctor straightened, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Top marks again," he said mildly. "There are some very strange energy readings emanating from locations other than where that prototype transmat is."

Turlough scowled. "You think they've got more than one?"

"No. That's the odd thing. The energy readings aren't strong enough to be from the transmat."

"What?"

"Yes. We'll need to get the scanners set up. See if we can trace the source."

Turlough nodded. These seemed logical, and unlike most of the things the Doctor got himself involved in, it also seemed rather tame. As far as Turlough was concerned, the building they were working in was far more dangerous than tracking down the source of some lingering energy readings.

Later he realized that he should have known better. _Nothing_ connected with the Doctor was ever as straightforward as it seemed. It was _always_ dangerous. Always.

* * *

The Doctor spent several hours fiddling with several bits and pieces of technology before he was satisfied he had exactly what he needed. He had his companion assist in the calibrations, and then synchronized the scanners with the TARDIS console.

"Do we really need to go to all this trouble?" Turlough wanted to know.

"Always best to be thorough in the face of temporal leakage." The Time Lord looked up. "You wouldn't want to walk though a stray time eddy and age a few decades, now would you?"

Turlough's bright blue eyes widened considerably. "No, I would not!" he stated flatly. "That's not a possibility, is it?"

The Doctor gave his companion a sly grin. "Not really."

"Doctor, that's not in the least bit funny!"

The Doctor held out one of the scanners, pocketing the second. "Just keep your eyes open."

Turlough took the scanner and frowned down at it. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Nothing yet. We're going to take some readings from that prototype," the Doctor informed. He moved to the console and entered some information into the computer before turning to the exterior doors. "There. Now the TARDIS will monitor what's going on out there and record it. With luck, we'll be able to pick up a pattern."

Turlough nodded, glancing down at the little device in his hand before following the Doctor out the door.

* * *

**_ARGO_ Flight Deck  
Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

For the third time in a twenty-four hour period, Jason found himself contacting Gallifrey. As before, he was put in contact with Gilgavik. This time, however, he received the news he had been hoping for; his message had been delivered to the Doctor.

"Did you tell him I'm going to try to lock the time corridor at this end?" Jason wanted to know.

"Yes, your highness," Gilgavik replied. "I told him everything you asked me to."

Jason had his doubts on this one but did not remark on it. "Do you think you'll be in contact with him again?"

Gilgavik's eyes flickered, his only visible reaction. "I couldn't say at this time."

Jason sighed heavily.

"Is there another message?"

"Not so much a message as information," Jason replied. "I pulled two people out of the time corridor."

"Yes, you did mention that…"

"One of them is rather important, given where he entered the time corridor and the touchy political climate in 1987. The ramifications of his disappearance could affect the timeline."

Gilgavik's eyes widened. "How great would these ramifications be?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to question him fully. He's still recovering from the trauma and some mishandling at this end." Jason pause before asking, "Is there any way I can contact the Doctor directly?"

Gilgavik frowned. "You _are_ six hundred years in the future from his respective time zone, your highness."

"Gilgavik, I used to travel with the Doctor," the Prince informed coldly. "I know how a TARDIS operates. That time corridor should act as a real time interface."

"It will also interfere with your communications array, unless you have a temporal damper set up," the Time Lord said. "Do you?"

Jason heaved an exasperated sigh. "No." He knew perfectly well that if the Doctor called _him,_ there would be no problems. But try telling that to the smug bastard on the screen. "Fine. Just tell the Doctor that Iron Klaus is alive and well and will be returning with me."

"Iron Klaus?"

"A code name. The Doctor will understand."

Gilgavik gave him a dubious look. "I'll make sure to pass this along, your highness."

"Thank you." Jason then cut the link. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. All he wanted to do was sleep for a few hours.

Sully had been listening the whole time and shook his head. "You need some sleep, if you don't mind my saying so."

"No, I don't mind your saying so. I just wish I could."

Sully gave him a disapproving look. "You've been awake more than twenty-four straight hours. There's no reason why you can't get some sleep while your guests are asleep in the sickbay."

Jason gave his pilot a steady look. "Are you volunteering to play babysitter while I take a nap?"

Sully grinned. "I don't think I'll get into too much trouble watching a couple of sleeping humans."

"It's not when they're asleep that you'll have the trouble."

Sully's smile widened. "That's when I'll come wake you."

Jason gave him a sideways glance. "Fine."

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The Doctor and his companion spent several hours taking readings in various locations. Turlough soon discovered what he felt was the real reason the Time Lord wanted to do this. Whenever they encountered someone, the Doctor would ask a general question or two. Then, within a few minutes, he was happily chatting away and gleaning a wealth of information.

One of the things they learned was that the lead scientist in the matter transmission experiments, Alexei Borodin, had gone missing. Considering all that Turlough had learned about the KGB and the Soviet Union during his time on Earth, this fact was not exactly shocking. However, as they continued to gather information, it seemed that Borodin had fled on his own.

Something else they learned, although the Doctor was uncertain how much faith to put into it, was that there had been several reports of spectral sightings. Ghosts in the Lubyanka? Turlough had joked that it was probably all the people who had disappeared within the walls of KGB Headquarters attempting to get out. Since the reports had come from what one man called, "the peasant class," the Doctor was torn between dismissing the stories and investigating further.

"Doctor," Turlough moaned, "you _can't_ believe these people actually saw ghosts."

"They may have seen what they consider to be ghosts," the Time Lord replied. "I've seen similar phenomenon in the presence of a time fissure. Timelines overlap briefly, and someone in tune with it will see into the…well, the crack in time. To them, they'll be seeing a ghost, but it's just a glimpse into time."

Turlough considered this. "Alright, that _seems_ to make sense. It would explain why people can describe the period clothing a supposed ghost is wearing."

"And why said supposed ghost is unaware of being observed. The observer is normally telepathic," the Doctor said as he led the way back to the TARDIS to correlate that day's data.

"If that's so, then there are an awful lot of telepathic peasants in this building."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Turlough, the Soviet Union led the world in paranormal research in the Twentieth century."

"Great. Any speculations on _our_ paranormal research?" Turlough asked as they entered the console room.

"Too soon to tell."

Turlough looked over at the console and sighed. "The communication panel is blinking again," he said as he continued on to the inner door. "I hope you don't mind if I don't stick around. I'm going to get something to eat." With that, he vanished into the impossibly large interior of the TARDIS.

The Doctor nodded absently. He looked at the blinking light and frowned. "And they wonder why I don't answer all the time," he moaned as he acknowledged the transmission. The instant Gilgavik appeared on the screen, he snapped impatiently, "I have nothing to report! I've only just started."

Gilgavik's eyebrows went up. "Thank you, Doctor, but that isn't why I called."

"Oh. Sorry. It's been a long day."

"Apparently. I have another message for you from Prince Jason."

The Doctor blinked. _Another_ message from Jason? What the devil was the Alterran doing at the other end of that time corridor? "Yes…?"

"I'm to tell you that Iron Klaus is alive and well, and will be returning with his highness as soon as the time corridor is locked into place."

The Doctor's mouth dropped open. "Say that again."

Gilgavik repeated the message. "From your reaction, I can only assume that this man is as important as Prince Jason believes."

"Actually, I'm shocked by the 'alive and well' part of the message."

"Well, his highness did mention that this…Iron Klaus was recovering in his sickbay. He also indicated that his disappearance from your time zone could have serious ramifications on that timeline."

The Doctor nodded. "If he weren't still 'alive and well' that would indeed be true."

"Then it's fortuitous that Prince Jason retrieved him from the time corridor."

"Yes. Jason does have quite the knack for performing miracles," the Doctor observed knowingly. "If he contacts you again, tell him I'll do what I can to stabilize the prototype at this end. It's rather primitive, but I'm sure the lock will hold when it's established at his end, too."

Gilgavik nodded. "I'll pass that along." So saying the transmission ended.

* * *

**_ARGO_ Sickbay  
Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

The door to the room occupied by the sleeping Earl and Major opened noiselessly and the Prince stood at the threshold a moment. "I can't image you just sitting around watching them sleep for several hours," he said over his shoulder.

Sully gave a low chuckle. "I'm going to work on the new ship's design."

Jason gave a small sigh. His pilot had been nagging him for nearly ten years to get a new shuttle and had taken it upon himself to design the replacement. Every time they encountered the slightest problem, out came the design for the new _ARGO_. "I doubt you'll be able to figure time travel capabilities into your new design," he chided quietly.

"No. But I can add a temporal damper to the list of options," he replied, adding, "And I'm going to have the sickbay right off the flight deck. Enough of this traipsing back and forth."

Jason shook his head. "You're impossible," he hissed quietly as he entered the room. He hung up Dorian's jacket, now completely clean and spotless. Then he crossed to the Major, his eyes sweeping over the monitors. _Still a few more hours_, he thought as he took in the readings. He glanced down at the apparently peacefully sleeping figure before turning back to his pilot.

"Looks like you won't have—"

Jason got no further. To his astonishment, the Major suddenly sat up and had one arm locked around his throat, his other hand pressed up against the side of his head.

"Don't move or I'll break your neck," the Major growled in the Prince's ear.

Jason wisely froze and held his hands out to his sides. "I'm unarmed, Major," he said calmly.

The stunned Sully took a step forward. Jason held up a hand and commanded, "Don't!" stopping him in his tracks. "He means it."

"You're smarter than you look," the Major said approvingly.

"Thank you."

"What is this place? How did I get here? Who are you?"

"Well," Jason began slowly, "this is my sickbay. I brought you here to be safe. And I'm your doctor. So I don't suggest you go snapping my neck any time soon."

The Major responded with a low growl. His eyes flashed around the unfamiliar room, falling on the still peacefully sleeping Eroica. "What's that bloody bugger doing here?"

"Recovering, same as you," Jason replied.

"Recovering?"

"Yes."

The watching Sully saw Jason's eyes glow for a second and knew he had just done something to protect himself. He also knew that the Major would be completely unaware of it.

What happened next was a blur. Jason reached up, took hold of the arm at his throat, and pulled it away, spinning around to face the officer at the same time. His other hand flashed up to the Major's neck. The officer's eyes grew wide for a split second before they rolled back into his head, a small sigh escaping him. He went limp, falling back into Jason's waiting arms.

"I am sorry, Major," Jason said mildly as he carefully laid the man back onto the bed. "But you obviously still have more recovering to do."

Sully suddenly realized that he was standing with his mouth hanging open. He got hold of himself and crossed to the Prince's side. "I can't believe you actually did that."

Jason looked up and grinned. "Gets 'em every time."

"He could've killed you!"

"Yes, I am aware of that, Sully."

Sully looked at the Major and shook his head. "I thought you said these two were friends of yours."

"Ah. To be honest, I'm not sure the Major has any friends."

"I'm not surprised."

Jason actually laughed. "He's an intelligence officer from the Twentieth century. A time of spies, counterspies, and all that. Paranoia seems to be part of the job description."

"Oh, terrific," Sully moaned.

"You're the one who volunteered to baby-sit while I took a nap."

"And you didn't think the fact that one of your so-called friends is a paranoid schizophrenic with homicidal tendencies was important enough to tell me?"

Jason laughed again as he turned to the monitors beside the Major's bed. "He likes to say he's a professional. Although professional _what,_ I shudder to think."

"Any other comforting thoughts?" Sully looked at the sterile field surrounding the Major's bed and jerked a thumb in its direction. "Can you set that thing to keep him in instead of keeping others _out?_"

Jason chuckled but did not reply. He made a few entries into the computer before finally turning back to his pilot. "There. Now you're safe from a repeat performance."

Sully's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?"

"Just my usually magic."

"Ha! I know how your magic works. It's all smoke and mirrors. You tell people all about themselves, but never bother to mention that you can scan their bio-reading just by touching them. Or that you have total recall."

Jason grinned. "A good magician never gives away his secrets."

Sully merely snorted in reply.

"This particular trick will have the computer keep him under until his brain activity normalizes."

"Was it ever normal to begin with?"

"Funny. He probably won't even remember what just happened. He's on automatic pilot, so to speak."

"And what about him?" Sully asked, nodding in the Eroica's direction.

Jason gave the Earl an affectionate look. "Dorian's harmless. He'll steal your back teeth if he takes a fancy to them, and make it sound as if he's doing you a favor."

"Great."

Jason gave Sully a sideways look. "And don't be surprised if he tries to proposition you when he wakes up."

"This just gets better and better."

Jason giggled as he crossed to the sleeping Earl, activating the monitor at his bedside. "He's still harmless."

Eroica stirred and moaned, partially opening his eyes. "What's all the commotion?" he asked groggily.

"Oh, just the Major issuing death threats in his sleep," Jason replied quietly. "Go back to sleep."

Eroica smiled. "How very like him," he sighed happily and curled up in his blanket. He was back to sleep within seconds.

Jason turned to see his pilot watching him with an odd look in his eyes. "Now what?" he asked as he made for the door.

"You have very odd friends."

"I hope you're including yourself in that observation."

"Naturally," Sully grinned. "Now go get some sleep, yourself."

"Nag, nag, nag."


	11. Who Are You?

**CHAPTER TEN**

**WHO ARE YOU?**

**_ARGO_ Conference Room**  
**Hangar Bay 287**  
**Moscow, Russia**  
**November 2620**

Sully led Eroica and the visibly recovered Major into the _ARGO_'s conference room. In the center of the table were two trays, one with coffee, tea and an unidentified beverage on it: the other with a selection of various foods. At the far end of the table was an open laptop computer. Jason was just placing another tray on the table and looked up as the men entered.

"Your guests, your highness," Sully announced.

"Thank you, Sully."

Sully gave a slight bow. "I'll be on the flight deck if you need me, sir."

The Prince gave a small smile. How Sully loved to be formal at times like this. He waited until the door was closed before addressing his guests. "Can I offer you something to eat?" he said, indicating the trays. "Major? You must be starving."

"He won't eat a thing without a food taster," Eroica said knowingly, pouring himself a cup of tea. "And if the coffee isn't Nescafé, he won't touch it even _with_ a food taster."

"It is, actually." Jason flashed a smile, turning to the glowering officer. "And everything else that I recall you approved of is on that tray, Major. I _did_ cook for you both a few times." He poured himself a cup of coffee and then sat down in front of the laptop.

The Major eyed the coffee pot and then lifted his suspicious gaze to the Prince. He was dressed in the same elaborate royal finery he had worn when he first laid eyes on him. The officer threw a sideways glance in Eroica's direction. "You say you're Jason Krystovan, but you look like you raided the Earl's wardrobe."

"I'd say be nice, Major, but I know I'd be wasting my breath." Jason studied the officer's set expression. He could just see the wheels turning in his head as he analyzed every aspect of the room. "You haven't even asked me where you are."

"I already know where I am," the Major replied firmly. "KGB Headquarters."

"Ah. Well, not quite. What year is it?"

The frown on the Major's face deepened and he wondered what game the Prince was playing. "It's 1987. August."

Jason shook his head. "Not anymore. This is where Lubyanka Square once stood, about…six centuries ago," came the startling reply.

"What?" the Major and Eroica said in unison.

"You're more than six hundred years in your future. It's the year 2620. November. You're in the Twenty-seventh century."

"Impossible!" the Major gasped.

"What's impossible? Time travel? You were in the TARDIS. You know time travel exists." Jason sat back and looked at him. "You still don't believe me, do you?"

"No."

"You are a very hard man to convince, Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach," Jason said, the German's name rolling as impeccably off his tongue as it had the first time he had spoken it. He turned to Dorian, seeing uncertainty was now clouding his striking features. "Do _you_ doubt who I am?"

"I didn't." Eroica replied hesitantly.

"But you do now?"

Eroica threw a quick sideways glance in the Major's direction. "Iron Klaus has a lot more experience with this cloak and dagger stuff than I do."

"Alright, fine," Jason sighed heavily. "Take a seat, will you? We have a long afternoon ahead of us."

"Why do you say that?" the Major asked guardedly.

"I thought you had some questions you wanted answered. I know I have several hundred myself."

"I thought you might."

There was an edge to the reply that caused Jason to look up again. "Major, I'm not interested in any of the secrets you may have in your head. They're not secret anymore." He noticed the officer searching his pockets and gave a knowing smile. "If you're looking for your cigarettes, they were removed by the transmat."

The Major looked up. "Transmat?"

"It's how you got here. It identified them as being hazardous."

Eroica groaned and put a hand to his head, sitting down at the same time. "Wonderful. Now we have to put up with paranoia _and_ nicotine withdrawal."

Jason gave a wry smile. He reached into his inside pocket and produced a pack of cigarettes and lighter, which he slid across the table in the astonished Major's direction. "You're not really supposed to smoke in here. But I've reset the safeties to allow it."

The Major eyed the pack of cigarettes as if they would jump up and bite him. The lighter, however, he recognized as his own. He picked up it up and proceeded to take it apart. It was obvious he was looking for bugs and equally obvious that he did not believe a word the Alterran was saying.

Jason sighed heavily, leaning his elbow. "Major Eberbach, you are without a doubt the most suspicious man I have ever met."

The Major met his steady gaze with an icy stare. "I'm a professional. I haven't lived so long being gullible. You expect me to believe that I'm six hundred years in the future and that _you_ are someone I last saw four years ago just because you tell me?"

A smile came to Jason's face when the officer's nicotine craving overrode some of his paranoia as he cautiously lit one of the cigarettes.

The Major was surprised when he discovered the cigarette was identical to the brand he smoked. He stored this piece of information away, as it only seemed to confirm his suspicions. He looked around the room, checking for any obvious surveillance equipment, not that he expected to actually see any. The KGB was much too clever to make things that obvious.

"Fair enough. The last thing I would do is call Iron Klaus unprofessional," Jason said when the officer looked at him again. He sat back in his chair and folded his arms. "_Why_ don't you believe me?"

The Major took the compliment with no more than a flicker of his eyelids. He drew himself to his full height and began laying out his misgivings. If he was to believe what Jason was telling him, then he and Eroica were thrown into the device in the Lubyanka in 1987 and had somehow been retrieved more than six hundred years later. Unharmed.

"I never said you were unharmed when you arrived," Jason injected knowingly. "You weren't in the infirmary simply for observation. Anyway, go on."

The Major gave him a sideways look, taking a drag on his cigarette as he continued to get his thoughts in order. He remembered nothing until waking in the infirmary. "How am I to be certain that the memories of these events are true?"

"Major, what are you saying?" Eroica asked nervously. He was getting more and more unsettled by the minute. Why did the Major always have to turn everything on its head?

"I think he's saying that what you remember is a false memory that was somehow implanted by the KGB," Jason replied succinctly. "And that I'm not really who I say I am, but someone you were told to believe I was." He paused and scowled. "Wow. That didn't make sense even to me." He looked over at the Major who was silently watching his every move. _He's trying to read my body language. Good Luck, Major. I'm not even remotely human._ "Is that what you think, Major? You're seeing me, Jason Krystovan, as a result of post-hypnotic suggestion?"

The Major did not reply, but Eroica did. "Is that what this is?" he gasped, getting to his feet. He moved away from the table, positioning himself slightly behind the Major. "We've been brainwashed?"

"How else would anyone know who we are six hundred years in the future?" the Major replied logically.

"Actually, I'm the only one who knew who you both were," Jason informed. "And even if I wasn't, it was easy enough to identify you, Major." He opened a box that was beside the laptop and slid it down the table. "Among other things, you were carrying your NATO ID and a very impressive document from Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, the General Secretary of—"

"I know who the bloody bastard is," the Major snapped impatiently. He looked in the box, quickly retrieving his property. He made particular note of the fact that his gun and shoulder holster were conspicuous by their absence. He pocketed the documents and looked up. "But not the Earl. I happen to know Lord Gloria never carries any identification. His subordinates take care of all that."

"Why, Major, I didn't know you cared," Eroica said sweetly.

"Not now, Dorian," Jason reproved sharply, receiving a startled look in reply. Again, his tone only seemed to reinforce that he was the same man Dorian had first met seven years earlier.

The Prince tossed another paper on the table. "You're correct, as always, Major. But he was carrying his calling card."

The Major looked at the card upon which was written, _From Eroica with love._ He turned to glare at the thief. "You idiot!"

Jason ignored this outburst. "I would like to point out that I haven't made a single threat to harm either of you. In fact, if you'll recall, I'm the one who rescued you."

The officer turned back to face him. "A very convenient rescue."

"Meaning what? It was a set up by the KGB?"

"Yes."

Jason sat back in his chair. "Why would the KGB choose an obscure person such as myself as a dupe?"

The Major met the Alterran's challenging gaze steadily. "Who better than a person we would trust."

Jason's eyebrows went up. _"Trust?_ Major, I'm touched. From you, that's high praise."

"It wasn't meant as such."

"For what it's worth, Jason, I believe you," Eroica said mildly.

"You would believe anything, you stupid limey," the Major snapped.

The Alterran Prince jumped to his feet and banged a fist on the table, causing the unprepared officer to jump. "God dammit, Klaus, that's enough!" he thundered in flawless German. He met the Major's angry glare with the same cold look he had used on the Captain in the mind probe room and Eroica was startled to see Iron Klaus actually flinch. "I do not have time for your petty bigotry and intolerance," he went on in the Major's native tongue. "Whether you believe me or not is irrelevant. There is a rogue temporal corridor operating out there, and somehow you two got caught up in it. _And,_ unfortunately, you're also the only ones who can help me figure out who activated it and why!"

Jason dropped back into his seat, switching back to English as he said, "Now, can we get on with this without any further petty squabbling?" He did not wait for a reply, turning his attention to the computer before him.

Eroica was thunderstruck by this enraged outburst. Again, he found himself questioning himself. This was not the mild mannered Jason Krystovan he had once known. He shifted his position to see what the Alterran was doing. To his amazement, a wealth of information was scrolling across the screen. "What is that?" he asked finally.

Jason looked back at him. "What? This?" He nodded at the laptop, receiving a nod in reply. "It's a computer. I'm pulling up all the information on you both and your arrival."

_"That's_ a computer?"

"Yes. A bit smaller than the ones you're used to seeing, I'll bet. Considerably faster and with several hundred times more storage capacity." With a grin, Jason added, "It's wireless, too."

"He's already trying to decide how to steal it," the Major observed blandly. To his surprise, Jason did not snap back at him. Instead, he nodded in agreement.

"I wouldn't advise it. It's equipped with a tracking chip. I can find it anywhere." Jason looked up, meeting Eroica's fascinated gaze. "And I mean _anywhere._"

Eroica did not reply, being too enthralled by the compact device. The implications of the technology were staggering.

Jason glanced at the screen and then looked over at the glower Major. "I do have one question you can answer for me, Major," he said mildly.

Klaus gave him a suspicious look. "What makes you think I'm gonna answer any of your questions?"

Jason flashed an amused smile. "This won't breach NATO security. It has to do with your surname."

The Major's eyes narrowed, the interrogation in the mind probe room returning to mind. "I thought you already knew that."

"Let me put it this way, what is the proper way of addressing you?" Jason nodded to the computer screen. "The reports have you as Major Eberbach and Major von dem Eberbach. Which is correct?"

"The latter is correct, not that that will make a difference," Klaus replied, blowing smoke into the air. "Just call me Major."

"Nobody gets it right outside of Germany," Eroica said knowingly.

Jason nodded. "Then I apologize for having gotten it wrong before," he said mildly.

"Are you trying to soften me up?" the Major asked coolly.

"Perish the thought. How does one soften up iron?"

"With heat," Eroica replied playfully, fluttering his eyelashes at the officer.

"Dorian, please, not now," Jason moaned impatiently.

Eroica flinched when the Alterran turned a disapproving look in his direction. His bright blue eyes caught the light from the computer screen in such a way that they actually glowed. Once again, the Earl found himself thinking that perhaps the Major's current misgivings might not have been so misplaced after all.

"What's wrong?" Jason asked suddenly.

Eroica threw the Major a quick sideways glance, seeing him studying the Prince closely. _Did you see it, too? What do you know, Major?_ He turned back to see the striking blue eyes still staring at him with an incredible intensity that was completely unnerving. "Nothing."

"Don't kid a kidder. Something's—" Jason broke off and put a hand to his head as he realized that Dorian was still having misgivings about who he was. "Look. I'm Jason Nigel Peregrine Alexander Krystovan. I'm an Alterran Healer, a surgeon. We met in 1980—I think—when I was still traveling with the Doctor.(2) I pulled a bullet out of the Major's chest that should've killed him. And you, Dorian, were a jigsaw puzzle that I put back together leaving that flawless skin of yours still flawless." He paused, wondering how his next piece of information would be received. "By 1987, that would be seven years ago for you. But for me, it's been about a hundred and fifty."  
(2) My story – Do UNIT & NATO Spell Disaster?

"A hundred and fifty _years?_" Eroica gasped, returning to his seat at the same time.

"Give or take a decade or two, yes."

"Why aren't you with the Doctor now?" the Major asked pointedly.

"Long story." Jason looked off into the distance, recalling the day he had parted company with the Doctor. "Very…very long story," he said wistfully.

Eroica exchanged a mystified look with the Major, who shrugged and drew another drag from his cigarette.

Jason seemed to return to reality with a jolt and gave the still skeptical pair a searching look. "Am I ever going to convince you that I'm telling the truth?"

"You've convinced me," Eroica replied.

"No, I haven't."

The thief frowned. "What makes you say that?"

Jason leaned on his elbow and gave him an innocent look. "Because you haven't hit on me once since you woke up in the infirmary."

The Major gave a derisive snort. "You should be grateful."

"Actually, I'm shocked."

"I thought you weren't flattered," Eroica injected.

"I lied."

Eroica slapped a hand on the table. "I knew it!"

Jason's face brightened and a smile started to blossom. "Still think I'm someone else?" he asked challengingly.

A long silence followed. Klaus stood smoking his cigarette, thoughtfully appraising the situation. He went over all the information he had gathered and analyzed it, comparing what he recalled of the Jason Krystovan he had encountered only twice with the man sitting before him.

"Perhaps there is a way you can prove what you claim," he said suddenly.

Jason's eyebrows went up. "Really? What could I possibly do that would convince Iron Klaus?"

Klaus stubbed out his cigarette before meeting the Alterran's inquiring gaze. "Revert to your true self."


	12. The Prince's Mission

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

**THE PRINCE'S MISSION**

Jason's mouth dropped open and it took him a few seconds to find his voice. "What?"

"If you are who you claim, it will be no problem. There's no record of Jason Krystovan's true appearance anywhere for the KGB to get hold of."

Eroica gave him a startled look. "You didn't report it?"

"Report it?" Klaus replied, waving a hand in the air. "And have my Chief use it to get me relieved of duty for mental incapacity?"

"Ah." Eroica nodded. "Point taken."

The Major's challenging expression did not change as he turned back to the Alterran. "Well…?"

Jason met the officer's gaze steadily. "If it's the only way I'm going to convince you…"

"It is."

The Alterran nodded and rose to his feet. He moved slightly away from the table positioning himself closer to the Major. His body shimmered as he transmuted, and in a split second, he was in his true form, which had at one time been described as looking like a cross between a jellyfish and a nest of snakes. His main body was large and bulbous with sapphire blue crystals evenly spaced around the circumference. Below this were dozens of tendrils, which did not support his weight. Instead, he hovered in the air, his tendrils scarcely brushing the ground.

For Eroica, his first encounter with Jason's true form had come when he was pulled over a cliff and into the ocean in order to escape the KGB.(2) There had been no time for a warning, so the Alterran's true form had been a complete shock.  
(2) My story – Do UNIT & NATO Spell Disaster?

The Major's first one-on-one encounter came three years later during the mission in Iceland. After being shot and left for dead, he regained consciousness to find himself entwined in the Alterran's tendrils.(1) Now the creature that had saved his life was before him again and he stiffened visibly, taking an alarmed step back. He had forgotten the Alterran's true self was so large, more than two metres in height. Being tall himself, he was unused to anyone looming over him, let alone an alien such as Jason and he found himself wondering what had happened to his gun as a tendril gently wrapped around his wrist and then threaded itself between his fingers.  
(1) My story – Espionage On Ice

"Do you believe me _now?_" the creature that was Jason asked calmly. "Or is touch an illusion too?"

"Nein."

Klaus swallowed hard, recovering his English at the same time. "I believe you." He was annoyed with himself when he heard the tremor in his voice. The Alterran's true form was unnerving at close range, there was no doubting it. He could handle counter-agents without batting an eye, but this incredibly powerful alien was another matter entirely. He had to fight not to pull his hand free and was relieved when the tendril quickly released its grip and withdrew.

In a blink, Jason was back in his smaller, less imposing human form. He stepped back, studying the officer's stunned expression. "From your reaction, I can only assume you didn't think that would happen."

"No."

Jason resisted the urge to gloat. Despite his suspicions and paranoia, the Major was a trained professional and deserved to be treated as such. After all, as far as he knew, his life had been in danger from the word go. "Thank you for believing me, Major." He threw a quick glance in Eroica's direction, seeing his bright blue eyes staring at him in wonder. "Well…?" he asked pointedly.

The thief leaned on his elbow and smiled, fluttering his eyelashes and causing the Prince to roll his eyes. "It starts," Jason muttered darkly, causing Eroica to laugh.

Jason returned to his seat, his expression becoming serious again. "Now that we have all _that_ cleared up, can we get on with sorting out this temporal anomaly?"

* * *

After less than an hour, Eroica was decidedly bored.

The Major sat silently smoking a cigarette, listening as Jason went over all the information that had been compiled and what had happened since the pair was retrieved from the temporal corridor. The officer had expected to be asked a battery of questions and was mildly surprised when the Alterran began laying out the facts unbidden.

When Jason looked up, he saw the thief's eyes were starting to glaze over. "Not very romantic, is it, Dorian?"

Eroica seemed to return to reality and looked over at the Alterran with sparkling eyes. "Oh, no, this is fascinating," he drawled, stretching his arms dramatically.

Klaus rolled his eyes. Even he found this type of work tedious, although he would never admit it openly. He chose to take a sip of his coffee and sat back to watch, feeling rather relieved that for once he was not the one having to deal with the Earl during a mission. This thought had scarcely gone though the Major's mind when he realized the implications of his own thoughts. _During a mission._ With a bit of a jolt, he realized that he had somehow become embroiled in the Prince's mission. There was no other reason he could see for the Alterran to share so much sensitive information. Then he realized he was being spoken to and looked up, seeing an inquiring look on Jason's face. "Was…?"

Eroica laughed. "He didn't hear a word you just said," he informed knowingly. "Lost in thought, weren't you, Major?"

"Shut up!" the Major growled. "Am I not permitted to think?"

"Actually, Major," Jason broke in, "I would like to hear what you think." He watched as a thoughtful look passed behind the German's dark green eyes. _What on earth is going on inside that head of his? Humans can be so inscrutable sometimes. And this one doubly so._

"What do I call you?" the Major asked finally.

"Excuse me?" Jason was completely thrown. "I don't understand. You used to just call me boy."

"Or idiot boy," Eroica injected.

Klaus shot him a disapproving sideways glance before returning his attention to Jason. "You want me to help you in this…_mission_ of yours, correct?"

"Well…yes, I supposed I do. I'm not sure how that—"

"You are in command," the Major stated flatly. "I cannot call you boy."

"And you can't call me your highness, either," Jason said knowingly. "I hate titles, and you hate aristocrats."

The Major nodded approvingly, taking a drag on his cigarette. "You see my dilemma."

Eroica was looking from one to the other. "I don't. Since when have you had trouble calling someone by name, Major?"

Jason gave him a small smile. "When was the last time he called _you_ by name, Dorian?"

"Does idiot count?"

"With you, yes," the Major snorted, blowing smoke in the Earl's direction.

This was not the first time, nor would it be the last, that Jason found the officer's professionalism intriguing. "Major, what you call me is inconsequential as far as I'm concerned. If you must use a title—" He broke off and sighed, waving a hand in the air. "No, forget titles. I detest the things. I prefer to be called Jason."

The Major nodded. "If that's what you prefer."

"Now I am getting bored," Eroica moaned loudly.

Now it was Jason's turn to roll his eyes. He glanced over at the Major, seeing a long-suffering look on his face. His expression clearly stated, "Now you see what I have to put up with." Jason threw a glance over at Eroica, seeing him stretching languidly in his chair. Then he put his legs up on the conference table and closed his eyes.

Jason was momentarily annoyed by this display. Then a devilish expression came to his face and he threw a conspiratorial look over at the Major, whose eyes narrowed in response.

"Alright, Major," Jason said calmly, "now it's your turn to tell me how you got into the time corridor in 1987." He turned his gaze pointedly in the direction of the disinterested and apparently napping Eroica. "Or should we start with his lordship? Since he's the one I pulled out first."

The Major's eyes flickered and he looked over at the thief, who was completely oblivious to the silent conspiracy going on around him. "Agreed. I think that would be best." He gave Eroica's chair a sharp kick, almost knocking him to the floor. "Wake up!"

Eroica was so startled that he gave a sharp cry and actually did fall from his chair. "What the hell was that for!"

"Get off your lazy foppish ass!" the Major snapped in mock impatience. "You want to get back to 1987 to steal what isn't nailed down, don't you?"

"What?"

"What the Major is saying, in is own inimitable style, is that I need you to tell me how you got into the time corridor," Jason replied mildly.

"He can tell you that," Eroica protested, waving a hand in the Major's direction.

"Why should he when you can do it yourself?"

Eroica's blue eyes grew wide and he looked from one to the other. The Major was idly taking a drag on his cigarette, clearly enjoying himself. Jason was looking at him with an amused smirk on his face. "Bloody hell, I'm having a nightmare! You two are actually teaming up against me!"

"No, really?" Jason snorted. "Why would we want to do that?"

The Major blew smoke into the air and actually smiled before taking another sip of his coffee. The Prince was very good at this, he noted. He had obviously learned a great deal in the century and a half since their last encounter.

"Jason, this isn't funny!" Eroica whined.

"I'm glad you think so, because I don't have time for your spoiled-brat routine," Jason stated flatly, sounding very much like a displeased parent. "Save it for a wider audience." He gave the stunned thief a stern look. "As much as I like you, Dorian, I have to admit that there are times when you can be the biggest pain in the ass!"

"He's always a pain in the ass," the Major injected coldly.

Jason ignored the remark. "Now, I know you can be serious. So stop looking at me like an injured two-year-old, get up off the floor, and tell me how you almost got yourself killed in a temporal corridor."

"You don't love me anymore," Eroica pouted as he picked himself up off the floor and made a show of brushing the nonexistent dirt from himself. "I've been thrown over for Iron Klaus."

A low growl rose in the Major's throat and Jason put his head in his hands. Klaus gave him a sympathetic look. The Prince was one of the few people he knew that stood on equal footing with himself when it came to the Earl's unwanted advances. The only advantage the Prince had was the fact that he could return to the future where the pervert could not dog his every step.

"Why me?" Jason moaned, not lifting his head from his hands.

"Because he believes everyone is a pervert like him," the Major said matter of factly.

"Well, I'm a bloody odd pervert then," Jason replied forcefully. "I'm getting married in six months." He gave Dorian a look that was so piercing he actually flinched. "And if you make one single off-color remark about my fiancée, I will not hesitate to do you an injury."

Eroica knew better and returned to his chair. He gave the Alterran a steady look and finally became serious. "May I offer my congratulations on your forthcoming marriage, your royal highness," he said in his most aristocratic of tones.

A small smile came to Jason's face. "Thank you, Lord Gloria. Now…about the time corridor?

Eroica drew a deep breath. "Where do you want me to start?"

"I have no idea." Jason turned to the Major, startling him a second time when he said, "This is your area of expertise, Major. Where do _you_ think he should start?"

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

"Doctor, I don't understand how these readings can fluctuate like this," Turlough was saying as the Doctor stood before the control panel of the prototype transmat. "With that offline, the readings should be dissipating."

"Agreed." The Doctor looked up and smiled. "Interesting, isn't it?"

Turlough moaned and rolled his eyes. "What do you know that you're not telling me?"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "What makes you think I know anything?"

"Because you always know everything," Turlough replied forcefully. While he had not meant this as a compliment, the Doctor took it as one and beamed back at him. "So…?" the young man prompted. "What aren't you telling me?"

The Doctor drew a deep breath and then started to manipulate the controls. "I don't _know_ anything for certain," he said calmly. "I do have a few theories, though."

"Let's hear them, then."

The Doctor looked up. "Are you really interested?"

"Yes. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ah! Don't mind me." The Doctor waved a hand dismissively. "I'm too used to Tegan objecting to everything."

Turlough nodded knowingly. This was indeed true. If Tegan were there, she would be asking dozens of useless questions and not waiting for any of the answers. Thank goodness they had left her in Little Hodcomb. "Well, I _am_ interested, Doctor," he reiterated. "First, you can tell me what it is you're doing over there."

By this time the Doctor had his back turned and was scrutinizing the wall of dials. "I'm trying to get this excuse for technology to lock on to a fixed point," he informed. "Jason's at the other end and is supposed to be locking it there."

"Jason!" Turlough gasped. "You didn't tell me he was involved in all this."

The Doctor threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "Didn't I?"

"No."

"Ah, well… Must've slipped my mind."

Turlough ground his teeth in some annoyance. This was rather an important piece of information to just forget to mention. What else had slipped the Time Lord's mind?

* * *

**_ARGO_ Flight Deck  
Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

"And this is the flight deck," Jason said as he led his guests through the door. Sully was in the pilot's seat and turned, rising to his feet as the Major and the Earl came through the doorway.

"Taking the grand tour?" Sully asked in amusement.

"I've never been on a spaceship before," Eroica replied.

Jason's eyebrows went up. "What do you call the TARDIS?"

"A Police Box," Eroica replied brightly.

The Major gave an annoyed sigh. "Idiot."

"That's pretty much the whole ship," Jason concluded. "What do you think?"

"I think it's badly designed," Klaus stated bluntly.

Sully slapped a hand on the main console. "There, you see! An unsolicited opinion." He turned to the Major. "I've been telling him that for ten years."

Klaus turned to Jason. "You should listen to your pilot," he stated flatly. "The layout of this ship is a security nightmare."

"Yes!" Sully replied excitedly.

"And the main…hatch, is it?" Eroica injected. "Is too far from the flight deck. Someone could be in and out and you'd never even know it."

Jason held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, enough!" he said helplessly. "I have to go get that transmat locked on to the time corridor. The Doctor is supposed to be at the other end doing the same thing."

The Major and Eroica exchanged a look of mutual astonishment. "The Doctor?" they said in unison.

"Yes. I managed to get a message to him through some very annoying channels," Jason replied. "Whether he got all of my messages, I don't know."

"Then what?" the Major wanted to know.

"Well, if all goes well, I should be able to enter the time corridor at this end and exit at the same point where you two entered."

"KGB Headquarters," Eroica said darkly.

"Yes, unfortunately."

Eroica threw a look over at the Major who suddenly seemed lost in thought. "Do you think Borodin and Ivanov will be waiting for us, Major?" he asked nervously.

Klaus came out of his daze and met the Earl's inquiring gaze. "Borodin, perhaps. Not Ivanov."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because the bloody fool tried to shoot me," Klaus replied coldly.

Eroica's eyes widened a moment. "I can only assume you shot him first."

"Damn right. I'd say I sent him to hell, if I knew whether the bloody Godless Commie believed in it."

Jason felt a chill run down his spine at the man's cold, matter-of-fact attitude. He had just admitted to killing a man as if he were talking about reading a newspaper. Was he really that heartless?

"Um…I'll be back as quick as I can," the Prince said as he headed for the door. "Look after my guests, will you, Sully?"

"Certainly, sir. Any orders while you're gone?" Sully asked.

Jason turned, giving the Major a piercing look before turning to his pilot. "Yes. If the ship is attacked, give the Major that cannon you had before and hide."


	13. Strange Rescue

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

**STRANGE RESCUE**

**Transmat 12**  
**Gorbachev Complex**  
**Moscow, Russia**  
**November 2620**

Jason opened the door to Transmat Room 12 and was relieved to find it empty. It had been ordered sealed and posted as being off limits, but that didn't guarantee that some curious individual would not venture in anyway. Jason crossed to the controls, his eyes flashing over the readings. "Active again," he muttered approvingly. "Well done, Doctor."

He reset the controls, entering a long stream of information into the system, following the instructions the Time Lords had given him. Jason waited for the computer to register success before he finally set the time delay. He crossed quickly to the booth, returning to his true form at the same time.

After a few seconds, the transmat started to glow and in a blink, he was in the temporal corridor. Jason expected to be disoriented and was somewhat surprised when he wasn't. He could see a light at the far end that he hoped was the booth the Major had described. The Lubyanka end. If he had done everything correctly, the corridor was now fixed at both ends, temporarily connecting the time zones.

Jason reflected on the centuries he was passing through in a matter of seconds as he moved toward the far end. Six centuries in about six seconds, and without the aid of a TARDIS.

Jason was very near his destination when, to his utter astonishment, he saw a humanoid female not far from the opening. To his added shock, he saw she was tied to what could only be described as a whipping post. The back of her dress was torn open, revealing her equally torn flesh, obviously the result of a beating. Possibly more than one. She was hanging limply from her bonds and Jason's first thoughts were that she was dead. Then he wondered why his sensors had failed to detect her presence, and concluded that they must have been overwhelmed by the temporal energies surrounding him.

The woman did not appear to be wearing anything to protect her from the temporal forces within the corridor. Another shock. As Jason drew nearer, his sensors picked up the presence of a forcefield around the post to which the woman was bound. Could _this_ be what had hidden her from his sensors? He cautiously moved in front of her, taking in her appearance at the same time. She was tall and slim, her long dark hair pulled over one shoulder. She wore unusual flowing garments that floated and twisted around her, moved by the temporal winds.

Jason saw a sight movement that verified this individual was still alive, if just barely. He reached out a tendril, gently brushing the hair from her face. Not to his great surprise, the instant she opened her eyes she gave a weak cry of terror and flinched back.

"Don't be afraid," he said calmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The terrified woman did not seem to hear him. "If you've come to kill me, just do it," she said in as defiant a tone as she could manage. "I'm not afraid anymore and I won't help you." She closed her eyes as if to brace herself for the inevitable.

Jason was taken aback by this. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied in as gentle a tone as possible. "And despite what my appearance may suggest, I'm not a monster. I'm an Alterran."

"Alterran?" The woman opened her eyes and finally looked at Jason properly, recognition flashing across her face. "You really _are_ an Alterran," she said in a relived tone.

"Yes. I really am."

"Will you help me?"

"Who and what are you?" Jason asked cautiously.

"My name is Muriel."

"_What_ are you?"

"You can see what I am," Muriel replied evasively.

"I see a humanoid female in a temporal corridor without any protection, yet unaffected by the ravages of time," Jason said succinctly. "I repeat. What are you?"

"If I tell you, you may not help me."

"I won't help you unless you do tell me. How do I know you don't deserve to be here?"

Muriel gave the Alterran a quizzical look. "Are you always this aggressive?"

"You call it aggressive. I call it cautious. And the answer is yes. I don't exactly conform to my race's norm."

"I thought Alterrans were supposed to be—"

"This conversation is over," Jason stated flatly and started to move away.

"Mythryn!" Muriel called out, causing the Alterran to stop short. "I'm a Mythryn!"

"Mythryn…" This was not the reply that Jason expected. Unlike the Time Lords, who had a strict code of non-interference, the Mythryn were the exact opposite. They were notorious for interfering with other races for their own amusement.

"I refused to change events on Earth."

Jason found himself stunned a second time. Then he recalled her words before she even knew who and what he was. He wanted to press for more details but was uncertain as to how long he could remain in the corridor before his energy field would fail. "Look, I can't stay in here much longer…"

"Please, don't leave me!"

"I didn't say I was going to." As soon as he said this, Jason saw relief wash visibly over Muriel's entire body. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know. Since I refused to change the timeline…"

"I didn't think changing timelines mattered to the Mythryn," Jason said condescendingly.

"Minor changes are one thing, but changing established history…"

Jason's sensors flared. "Established history?" The current political climate was paving the way for… "Like the collapse of the Soviet Union?"

Muriel caught her breath. "Yes. How did you—?"

"I used to travel with a Time Lord. I know the implications of what you're saying."

"A Time Lord?"

"Yes. In fact, he's supposed to already be at this end of the corridor," Jason informed. To his surprise, the Mythryn said, "Good. Then he can put a stop to the interference."

"That's an odd remark coming from a Mythryn."

Muriel gave him a small smile. "You're not the only one who doesn't conform to their race's norm."

"Touché," Jason replied, his amusement creeping into his voice. "Is that why you were beaten?"

"Yes." Muriel closed her eyes and gave way to an involuntary shudder. "I said I'd rather die than help him…terrorize the world. He didn't believe me." In a small voice, she said, "Nobody believes me."

Jason thought a moment, only to realize that there was no way he could leave Muriel in her present condition, even if she were lying through her teeth. As far as he could tell, she did not have the strength to do more than speak. She should have been struggling against her bindings when she first saw him, but she barely seemed to have the energy to flinch. "How do I turn off the forcefield?" he asked finally.

Muriel looked up sharply. "You're going to help me?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe me?"

Jason paused. "I don't know," he said truthfully. "I only know I can't leave you like this. If I do, you'll die and it will be my fault."

Muriel was genuinely stunned. "You're just…letting me go?"

"Not quite. You're in no condition to go anywhere on your own."

Muriel gave the Alterran a frightened look.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jason said mildly, an amused tone creeping into his voice again. "Nobody believes I'm not a monster, either."

"Touché." Muriel nodded toward a gray box near the base of the post. "That's the control unit."

Jason found the control switch and deactivated the forcefield. When he released the Mythryn from her bindings he had to catch her as her legs gave way. "You're definitely in no condition to travel."

"I'll be alright once I'm out of here."

"No you won't, but I can deal with that. I'm a Healer." Jason felt Muriel's body sag and entwined her completely, lifting her off her feet.

Muriel marveled at him a moment. "You haven't even told me your name."

"Jason."

"Of?"

Again, the Alterran's sensors flared. "Sorry?"

"You have blue eyes. That means you're a member of the Royal Bloodline. You must have at least one title to go with your name."

Jason sighed heavily. "Actually, I have a fistful of titles. Would you like to hear them all?"

"Which is the most prominent?"

"Crown Prince of Tel-Shye."

Muriel gave a startled squeak. "You're related to the Emperor!"

"Yes, I am. I didn't realize it was common knowledge among the Mythryn," Jason remarked. He stretched a tendril toward the exit shimmering a short distance away. "Is it 1987 on the other side of that?"

"Yes."

Jason moved closer, looking through the portal into the apparently empty room beyond. He saw the wall full of dials the Major had described during their briefing. "Good." So saying, he turned and started back the way he came.

"Wait, aren't you going through?"

"Not yet. I have a couple of friends to take back with me. I was just making sure the corridor was locked." Jason paused before adding, "Just relax. I'll look after you."

"I think I'm dying."

"Not if I can help it."

Before Muriel could think of a suitable reply, she saw the opening to the transmat room and tightened her grip. "I don't think I have the strength to make it through."

"You're protected by my energy field. I can get us both through," Jason replied calmly. "Just hang on." A moment later, they were passing though the portal and materializing in the transmat room.

"You did it!" Muriel cried out, hugging the Alterran.

Jason exited the booth and then returned to his human form, Muriel still in his arms. "Now, let's get those injuries seen to."

Muriel laid her head on Jason's shoulder. "Thank you, Healer Jason, Crown Prince of Tel-Shye," she said quietly, wiping a tear from her face.

"You're welcome, Muriel, Mythryn of the Time Corridor."

Muriel smiled and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself in a strange room. She was completely naked and lying face down on a table. Something was touching her back and she caught her breath.

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty," came Jason's calm gentle voice.

Muriel turned her head, seeing the Alterran Prince beside her. He had some kind of device in his hand and she gave him a frightened look. "What are you doing to me?"

"I'm treating your injuries. What do you think I'm doing?"

"I don't…" Muriel rubbed her eyes. "What happened? Where am I?"

Jason pulled the sheet covering his patient's lower body up over her back and sat down beside her. "You passed out. And you're in the sickbay of my shuttle."

"Sickbay?"

"I told you. I'm a Healer. You asked for my help, and I'm giving it," Jason informed. "I've treated your injuries and patched you up as best I can. Now all you have to do is rest."

"That's it?" Muriel said suspiciously. "No catch?"

"Well…" Jason gave her a small smile. "Kind of a catch. Don't tell anyone that I'm the one who got you out."

Muriel frowned. "Why? Are you ashamed that you helped me?"

"Actually, I was thinking you might have more leverage against whoever put you in there if they thought you had the power to escape on your own."

The Mythryn gave the Alterran a startled look. "You have my word, your royal highness."

Jason winced. "Please, Muriel, no titles. My name is Jason."

"You saved me, Jason. I won't forget it."

Jason gave her a small smile and rose to his feet. "You rest. I have to get some things ready before I go meet my friend at the other end of that corridor."

"Are you leaving me alone?" the Mythryn asked fearfully.

"Only for a few minutes. My pilot will look after you while I'm gone." Jason gave her a steady look. "Will you be okay on your own a few minutes?"

"I think so."

"You're quite safe here, Muriel."

"What about your friend? The Time Lord?" Muriel asked fearfully.

"What about him?"

"Are you…going to tell him about me?"

"No. I'm not sure he'll understand." Jason started toward the door, adding under his breath, "I'm not sure _I_ understand."

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The Doctor and Turlough were following a guard who had come to get them only minutes before Jason looked out into the now empty transmat room.

"This is something new, you say?" the Doctor asked as they moved deeper into the building.

"Yes, sir," the guard replied. "The man was most insistent that the statue he was cleaning..." He paused, sighed, and said hesitantly, "He claims it…_moved._"

"Moved?" This was Turlough, who was beginning to wonder about the sanity of those occupying the Lubyanka. "You mean it just got up and walked around?"

"No. He said it followed his movements."

"Like when the eyes on a painting _seem_ to move?"

The guard threw a quick nervous glance over his shoulder to the Doctor. "You did ask to be notified of these occurrences…"

"Oh, yes, yes, you acted quite correctly, Corporal," the Doctor said quickly, seeing relief wash visibly over the man's face. He gave his companion a disapproving scowl. "Keep your scanner out," he said sharply. "I've a feeling you'll be picking up some readings when we arrive."

* * *

**_ARGO_ Flight Deck  
Hangar Bay 287  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

"Well, that's all set!" Jason announced happily as he stepped onto the flight deck and clapped his hands together.

Eroica let out a startled cry, a hand going to his chest. The Major automatically reached for his weapon, which, fortunately for Jason, he no longer had.

Sully was the most vocal. "Damn, do you have to do that!"

Jason was taken aback. "Sorry."

"I told you this ship is badly designed," Klaus grumbled.

Jason rolled his eyes. "Fine. When we finish with the problems in 1987, you can come back and help Sully with his design of my new ship," he replied in a petulant tone.

"He's already been helping me," Sully informed. "And so has Lord Gloria."

Jason's eyebrows went up. "You actually got these two to cooperate in something?"

"Security and thieving seem to go hand in hand," Sully replied mildly.

Jason nodded absently. "I've got the time corridor locked. If you're both ready, we can make the trip to 1987."

Eroica threw a nervous glance over at the Major, who gave a shrug. "I suppose now is as good a time as any," the thief replied.

"Good." Jason turned to his pilot. "Sully, I need you for five minutes and then we'll be on our way."


	14. Return To The Past

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

**RETURN TO THE PAST**

**Transmat 12**  
**Gorbachev Complex**  
**Moscow, Russia**  
**November 2620**

Jason opened the door to the transmat room and held out a hand. "Here we are, gentlemen," he said brightly.

The Major gave him a sideways glance before entering. He looked around the room, his eyes falling on the transmat booth. "That looks very much like the booth in the Lubyanka," he said suspiciously. "Except this one actually has a door."

Jason picked up the edge to his voice and sighed heavily. "Major, the design hasn't changed in centuries." He received a dubious look in reply. "Are we back to that again?"

"I'm not sure you're ever going to convince him this is real, Jason," Eroica said mildly.

The Major gave him a dark look. "Jason hasn't given me reason to doubt him…"

_"Yet,"_ Jason said the same time as the Major. His only reply was a long, steady look. Shaking his head, he crossed to the controls, his eyes taking in the readings. He gave a satisfied grunt when he saw the readings had not changed.

"I locked the temporal corridor at this end so it won't fluctuate anymore." He looked up, a serious expression on his face. "You're sure you want to go through this again?"

_You mean I have a choice?_ Eroica's eyebrows went up. "What? Why?"

"Because I can't guarantee that I'll be able to protect you the whole time. And there won't be any way of stabilizing your system at the other end."

A panicked expression came to the Earl's face. "But...how else will we get back?"

"The Doctor will be able to come get you once he knows where…er, _when_ you are," Jason informed.

"We're going through," Klaus stated flatly.

Jason met his steady gaze. "In that case…" He reached inside his jacket and pulled out the Major's Magnum and shoulder holster, holding it out to the astonished officer. "I think you'd better have these back."

"Have you had this with you all this time?" the Major demanded, taking the gun from Jason's hand and checking over.

"Yes, actually."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "Then why give it back now?"

"Because that time corridor ends in the Soviet Union of 1987," Jason replied calmly, handing over the ammunition that he was also carrying. "And I've seen how well you handle that thing."

"Are you expecting trouble?"

"Inside KGB Headquarters?"

The Major nodded. "Good point." He pulled off his jacket, putting the shoulder holster back on, a satisfied smile coming to his face. He had felt far too vulnerable with the weapon missing. "Will it still work properly after going through that thing?" he asked as he put his jacket back on.

"I don't see why not."

"I would prefer to test it before having to use it again."

"No time, I'm afraid." Jason's looked over the readings. "Oh, and just so you know," he said without looking up, "I'm going to have to revert to my true self when we do this." He finished his entries and finally looked up. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Not if it gets us back to 1987," Klaus replied firmly.

"Then I suggest you both step inside." He waved a hand in the direction of the transmat booth. "I'm setting a time delay so I'll have enough time to increase the size of my energy field."

Eroica pulled open the door and gave the interior of the booth a dubious look, "I could always wait here with Sully," he said mildly. He hesitated on the threshold too long and was shoved inside by the Major.

"Just get in, idiot," the officer growled.

"Alright, alright. I'm going," Eroica protested. He then turned to Jason. "It appears I've decided to go with you."

Jason had to fight not to laugh. He activated the system and went quickly to the transmat, returning to his true form as he crossed the room. He pulled the door shut and carefully entwined the two men. "You may feel disoriented," he said warningly.

"I don't think I needed to know that," Eroica said, adding quickly, "And don't you dare say it'll be over soon."

"How about…it'll be over before you know it?" Jason replied.

"Worse."

The booth started to hum and Jason tightened his grip slightly. "Just hang on," he said as the interior started to glow.

"To each other?" Eroica asked brightly, turning a dazzling smile in the Major's direction.

The Major replied in predictable fashion. "Keep your hands to yourself, you pervert, or I'll test my gun on you."

Before Jason could think of a suitable response, they were in the temporal corridor. The swirling energy within the corridor was stronger than he anticipated and immediately overwhelmed his human passengers, knocking them senseless. He increased the strength of his energy field before he moved steadily toward the far end. The Lubyanka end.

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The scanner in Turlough's hand started squealing for attention so suddenly that the young man almost dropped it. He looked down at the device in shock and then back up at the Doctor. "It's never done _that_ before!"

The Doctor took the scanner from his companion, made a quick adjustment, and handed it back. "Here, now you should be able to track where it's coming from."

Turlough gave him a dubious look. "Great. More ghost stories," he muttered as he left the room.

* * *

**The Time Corridor  
Between Moscow of 2620  
And Moscow of 1987**

Jason passed the post that Muriel had been tied to, seeing it unchanged. The bindings were still in a heap on the ground, the control unit just as he'd left it. Hopefully, this meant that Muriel's captor had not yet learned she had escaped.

In less than a minute, the Alterran was passing though the portal and into the prototype transmat in the Lubyanka. He exited the booth, carefully laid his passengers on the floor, and returned to his human form. He checked his friends over, a satisfied smile coming to his face as he verified that they had come through _this_ journey along the time corridor unharmed. Rising to his feet, he crossed to the door and listened a moment, giving a nod of satisfaction. All was quiet.

Jason heard a low moan and turned, seeing the Major stir. He had barely returned to the officer's side when he came awake all at once, his green eyes snapping open. Jason watched in fascination as the Major's body tensed. He looked around, seemed to get his bearings, and then turned his intense gaze upward.

"Was ist los?" Klaus asked, switching back to English with his next sentence. "Is this the Lubyanka?"

"Yes." Jason pulled the officer to his feet. "And before you ask," he said quickly, "you've been unconscious less than a minute. There wasn't anyone here when we materialized. And I haven't heard a sound from out in the hall."

The Major nodded approvingly at this concise report of the facts. Jason was definitely not the frivolous boy he had once known. He had matured. A change for the better, as far as Klaus was concerned, especially since he was currently the one in command.

Eroica gave a low groan and opened his eyes, a hand going to his head. "That was bloody awful," he moaned.

"Don't start whining," the Major snapped impatiently.

Eroica sat up slowly. "Don't start with me, Major. I'm too hungover."

Jason helped the thief to his feet. "You'll be okay in a minute or two. Your system just needs time to normalize." To his own surprise, he suddenly felt very dizzy and put one hand against the transmat booth to steady himself, his other hand going to his head. _This didn't happen when I brought Muriel through. Why should it happen now?_

The Major was at the door listening for any sounds of activity. To his relief, all was quiet, just as Jason had reported. He turned back to issues another insult and saw the Prince wavering on his feet. "Hey!" Waving a hand, he called out, "Lord Gloria, catch him!"

"What?" Eroica had only a second to register what was happening. He managed to catch Jason as he collapsed against him and gently laid him on the floor. "Bloody hell, Major. We've killed him."

The Major was across the room and kneeling beside Jason in a blink. He put his fingers to the Alterran's neck, finding a steady pulse. "Don't be an idiot," he snapped, trying not to show how worried he was himself. The unconscious Alterran moaned at that moment and the officer gave Eroica a steady look. "Dead men don't breathe."

"_Now_ do you believe him, you thickheaded Prussian?" Eroica snapped angrily. "Or does he have to _die_ first!"

"Shut up! And don't start fawning over him again!"

"I'm not fawning!"

"Maybe I should just turn you over to the KGB for reeducation. See if a few thousand volts to the groin will turn you on."

Eroica's face darkened in anger. "That's not bloody funny, Major. Now you're just trying to scare me."

"Why do you think I keep telling you to stay out of my business?" the Major shot back. "You couldn't last ninety seconds in the dark.(8) How long do you think you'll last with the KGB?"  
(8) Emperor Waltz

"You're all a bunch of blood sadists, do you know that? The whole lot of you."

The Major's angry retort was forestalled by the sound of a voice coming from out in the hallway. His head snapped around, his body tensing. "Scheiße!" He was instantly on his feet, gun in hand. "Don't move," he ordered.

"Where the hell am I gonna I go?" Eroica whispered back bitterly.

"Shh!" the Major hissed through his teeth as he crossed to the door. He hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness. The only light came from the interior of the transmit booth, which Eroica and the unconscious Jason were currently beside.

As Eroica looked down at the Alterran's motionless form, it suddenly struck him that their protector was now the one in need of protection. Would they be able to provide it? One look at Iron Klaus standing like a coiled spring beside the door, Magnum in hand, was confirmation enough that the answer was a resounding yes. The next person to step through the door was in for a very nasty surprise.

Turlough moved quickly down the corridor, his eyes fixed on the scanner in his hand. "It's getting stronger!" he called, not even bothering to look back to see how far behind the Doctor was. He knew the Time Lord would catch up eventually.

The needle nearly jumped off the scale as Turlough passed the room containing the prototype transmat. He stopped dead in his tracks and scrutinized the reading. Moving the scanner back and forth to make certain he had located the source. "I've found it!" he called, hearing a vague reply echo back at him. "I said I found it!" he called again.

Not waiting for the Doctor to arrive, he opened the door, his eyes still fixed on the scanner. He reached in to turn on the lights, receiving the shock of his life when his arm was grabbed and he was suddenly forced face down onto the floor. Then his arm was twisted painfully behind his back and someone very large and heavy was holding him down.

"Who are you?" his unseen assailant demanded.

To Turlough's added surprise, the accent wasn't Russian. "Let go of me!" he protested. To his horror, he felt want could only be the muzzle of a gun press against the back of his head and immediately stopped struggling.

"Verdammt, another Englishman," Klaus muttered darkly.

"Not even close," the boy replied coldly. "And you're not Russian, either."

"Who are you?" the Major demanded again.

"Turlough, as if knowing that will make any difference."

"It makes a difference to me," came the Doctor's calm voice from the door. He reached in, turning on the lights and taking in the scene in some amazement.

The Major increased the pressure of his knee against Turlough's back to keep him on the floor while he turned his attention, and his gun, in the Doctor's direction. Now it was his turn to be amazed as he took in the Time Lord's appearance. "Mein Gott, we're not in the Lubyanka. We're in a lunatic asylum!"

The Doctor stared at the man pointing the gun at him. _Alive and well, indeed._ He looked over at the Earl, his eyebrows going up. No one had mentioned that Dorian had also been in the Lubyanka. Or that he had accompanied Iron Klaus into the prototype. Then his eyes fell on the figure beside him. "Oh, no…"

"Who are you?" the Major demanded, bringing the Doctor back to reality.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me even if I tell you," the Time Lord replied calmly.

"Oh, bugger, not again," Eroica moaned.

The Doctor gave the officer a steady look. "I _would_ appreciate if you didn't put a bullet into my companion," he said coolly as he entered the room.

"So would I!" Turlough agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'd also appreciate," the Doctor went on, "if you'd put the gun away. I'd rather not be the bull's eye on one of your targets."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're a dead shot, Major."

"Doctor, do you actually know this lunatic?" Turlough demanded from his place on the floor.

"Yes," the Doctor replied.

"No," the Major countered.

By this time, the Doctor was less than a foot away from the gun that was still leveled at his chest. "You are Major Klaus Heinz von dem Eberbach of NATO intelligence," he stated evenly. "You're also supposed to be dead."

Klaus gave a snort at the last remark.

The Doctor nodded in Eroica's direction. "That is Dorian Red Gloria, Earl of Gloria, also known as Eroica, an international art thief."

The Magnum did not waver. "And you are?"

"I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord's voice hardened as he said, "Now do put the gun away."

"This proves nothing."

What happened next was a blur to the watching Eroica. The Time Lord gave a small sigh. Then his hands flashed up, taking hold of the weapon and pulling it from the astonished Major's hand with conspicuous ease. The Doctor twisted his body, sending an elbow into the Major's chest, knocking him off of Turlough and onto the floor. He ended up sprawled on his back, staring up at the Time Lord in astonishment.


	15. Comparing Notes

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

**COMPARING NOTES**

The dumbfounded Klaus lay staring up at the Doctor, not quite believing the force that had just been exerted against him. The man standing over him was incredibly strong. What should have followed was for his own gun to be held on him and several threats and/or demands to be made. Instead, his assailant simply helped the boy that he had been accosting to his feet.

The Doctor regarded the stunned officer a moment before sighing heavily. "Oh, do get up, Major. I didn't hit you _that_ hard," he admonished as he crossed to the unconscious Jason and knelt down beside him.

"Too bad," Turlough grumbled, rubbing his bruised shoulder. He looked at the figure stretched out on the floor and caught his breath. "Doctor, that's—"

"Yes, I am aware of that, Turlough," the Doctor snapped impatiently as he checked the Alterran over, a worried look creasing his face. "How long has he been like this?" he asked concernedly, looking over at Eroica, who felt certain the Major was right and they had materialized in a lunatic asylum.

"I don't know," Eroica replied. "A few minutes. He collapsed just after we…er, arrived."

The Doctor looked from the Earl to the Major and back. "Did he bring you _both_ through at the same time?"

"Yes."

The Doctor cursed under his breath. "Royal idiot. He should know better than to pull a stunt like that."

"Always so encouraging…" Jason replied weakly.

"Jason…" Eroica said in a relieved tone. "I thought we'd killed you."

The Alterran was genuinely surprised to hear this. "Did you really?" He turned his attention to the Doctor. "Are you going to—?" He broke off when he saw the Major's Magnum in the Time Lord's hands. "Dare I ask what's been going on while I was unconscious?" he said as he sat up.

"I was awake and I'd still like to know," Turlough replied astringently.

Jason looked up and grinned. "Turlough!" he said delightedly. "You look like you've had a run in with Iron Klaus." He turned back to the Doctor. "And judging by the look of thunder on the Major's face, I can only assume that introductions have yet to be made."

"Full introductions have yet to be made," the Doctor corrected mildly. He gave the sleeve of the Alterran's royal finery a tug, adding, "Your royal highness."

"Long story."

"Isn't it always?" The Doctor got to his feet. "Might I suggest we go to more comfortable surroundings and compare notes?" He helped Jason up and then held out a hand to Eroica, who was still staring in wide-eyed wonder. "Well, come on, Dorian. I don't bite."

"Why is it everyone we meet already knows who we are?" Eroica said as he accepted the hand. He turned to Jason, nodding in the Time Lord's direction. "He claims he's the Doctor."

Jason could not help but laugh. "He is."

"Pull the other one."

"Like I said before, long story."

The Doctor smiled brightly, throwing a glance in the Major's direction. The officer was leaning against the wall near the door, smoking a cigarette, and glaring at him. "Major, if I give you your gun back, will you refrain from using it until _after_ you learn the whole story?"

The Major folded his arms and replied in German. "If you give me my gun back, I'll put a bullet through your fucking heart."

The Doctor's eyes flickered before he responded in impeccable German. "Hearts. I have two. If you must shoot me, at least do it properly, _Herr_ Major von dem Eberbach."

Eroica gave an involuntary cry upon hearing this. "Two hearts? You really _are_ the Doctor!"

"And you really are an idiot," the Major said darkly.

Jason heaved an exasperated sigh. "Here we go again…" he moaned. "Can't you two give it a rest for even five minutes?" He suddenly felt lightheaded again and put a hand to his head. Then the room seemed to start spinning. "Doctor, is the TARDIS far?"

The Prince's tone set off an alarm in the Time Lord's head and he turned sharply back to him. "Why?"

Jason gave him an unfocused look. "Because…I think someone may have to carry me." With that, his eyes rolled back into his head as he passed out again.

"Not again!" Eroica gasped, catching the Prince as he collapsed a second time.

"He's depleted his energy reserves protecting you both inside the temporal corridor," the Doctor replied tersely. "And to be honest, I'm not sure you're worth it."

"Now steady on…" Eroica objected.

The Doctor thrust the gun into Turlough's hands, ordering him to returning it to the equally stunned Major. Then he swept Jason into his arms, a look of thunder on his face. "You, Lord Gloria, are spoiled, selfish, and self-centered." He rounded on Klaus before the officer could agree with him. "_You,_ Major von dem Eberbach, are paranoid, arrogant, and ill-tempered. And those, gentlemen, are your _good_ points. Jason risked his life to get you back here and all you can do is argue with one another!" So saying, he strode toward the door. "Turlough, door," he snapped.

The last thing Turlough wanted was to be the next target of the Time Lord's wrath. He pulled the door open, handing the dumbfounded Major his gun back at the same time. The Doctor vanished through the door, heading swiftly down the corridor in the direction of the TARDIS.

"Turlough, as soon as those two can act in a civilized manner, bring them with you!" the Doctor called before disappearing around a corner.

Turlough exchanged a look of mutual bewilderment with the Major and Eroica before he sighed heavily. "Come on, then," he said and led the way out the door. With nothing better to do, and not wanting to lose sight of Jason, the pair followed him.

"Does the TARDIS still look like a Police Box?" Eroica ventured.

Turlough threw a startled look over his shoulder. "Yes."

"And this is 1987?"

"Yes."

"And the Lubyanka."

This was a statement of fact rather than a question and was spoken by the Major. He was standing in front of a portrait of General Secretary Gorbachev, looking at the burn mark that he himself had made on the wood frame. He touched the mark as if to verify it were real and then turned to Eroica. "If I didn't believe him before, I do now."

Turlough gave the Major a puzzled look. The Doctor was going to have a lot of explaining to do when he finally caught up with him.

* * *

Jason was more or less his old self by the time Turlough led the others into the TARDIS console room. He was in a chair with a large glass of _something_ on ice in his hand. There was a pitcher on a table that was beside him that undoubtedly contained whatever it was that he was drinking.

"Jason, you're alright!" Eroica sighed relievedly as he crossed to him and took a seat.

"On the mend," the Alterran said mildly, raising his glass. "The Doctor remembered my secret recipe for fast recoveries."

Turlough's eyebrows went up. "Did he, now?"

The Doctor was leaning back against the console, his arms folded. "Do you feel up to comparing notes?" he asked calmly. "Starting with how you managed to retrieve Dorian and the Major from a time corridor in the Twenty-seventh century."

Jason glanced over at the Major, seeing he was already in the process of lighting another cigarette. "Why not?" he sighed. "I doubt you'll've gotten the full story from the KGB as to how they got in there."

Klaus gave a derisive snort. "The KGB would never admit to the full story."

"It would be far too embarrassing," Eroica injected knowingly.

"Really?" The Doctor pulled up a chair and sat down. "Who wants to tell me about it?"

* * *

The Doctor listened in silence as Jason and the others told their separate tales. Jason wondered if he should tell about his encounter with Muriel, and finally decided to give only edited details. He referred to her as a "questionable source" rather than give a full accounting. If he told the Doctor the information came from a Mythryn, he felt certain it would be summarily dismissed.

"I'm not sure how much stock to put into this," Jason said mildly. "But I know how you like to have all the facts, however obscure."

The Doctor nodded absently. "It might be important."

"Yes. And it might also be so much nonsense."

"Well, we'll find out eventually."

The Doctor then explained what he and Turlough had managed to turn up in the few days they had been there. The energy readings were something that still needed to be fully evaluated, but the ghost sightings had also piqued his interest.

"Ghost sightings?" Jason repeated, throwing a quick glance in Dorian's direction. "Is this a recent phenomenon?"

"Apparently not," the Doctor replied. "It seems to've been going on for decades. The interesting thing is, the incidents seemed to've stopped for a while, and then suddenly started up all over again."

Jason sat back in his chair. "Started back up with a vengeance, is that what you're saying?"

"Just after the Major's disappearance, as a matter of fact."

Jason threw a startled look in the Major's direction. At some point during the lengthy explanations, the Doctor had supplied the officer with a gun cleaning kit. Klaus was calmly cleaning his Magnum while taking in everything being said. This new piece of information was enough to make him stop what he was doing and look up, his eyes meeting Jason's.

"And now," the Doctor went on, "there's a new twist. Before it was just ghosts. Now, apparently, the statues have started to move."

"What!" This was Eroica, who practically fell out of his chair. He gave the Time Lord a horrified look before turning to Jason, who held up a hand in his direction.

"This _just_ started happening?" Jason asked.

"Yes. Just before you arrived, in fact," the Doctor replied, giving Eroica a puzzled look. "No one we've spoken to has ever heard of anything like this before."

The Major gave a snort and started reassembling his gun. "The Earl can tell you all about moving statues."

"Major, this isn't bloody funny," Eroica protested.

The Doctor exchanged a mystified look with Turlough, who shook his head and shrugged. He turned to the others, who obviously knew more than they were telling. "Um," the Time Lord said calmly, "if you might enlighten me?"

Eroica put his head in his hands, too distraught to say anything.

"Dorian had a run in with a statue that ended up producing a brief psychosis," Jason began slowly.

"Don't be so clinical," Klaus growled in annoyance. "He was delusional. Afraid of his own shadow because of some damn fool statue."(10)  
(10) Eau de Cologne: Seduction On The Rhine

"Major, it moved!" Eroica protested. "It bloody moved! It shot an arrow!"

"But it missed you! It was just as lousy a shot as you are."

"Major, you're not helping," the Doctor snapped.

"I'm not trying to help," Klaus snapped back.

"_That_ I can see. You obviously have no idea how to be supportive."

"Supportive?" the Major snorted, waving a hand in the air. "You're talking about ghosts and moving statues. Am I supposed to give that equal weigh to the KGB trying to kill us?"

Jason cleared his throat. "I'm afraid he does have a point there, Doctor. This isn't the type of thing you usually bother with. Unless…" He suddenly remembered Muriel's injuries and wondered if the manifestations in the Lubyanka and her attacker were linked somehow. "These sighting? They're just that, right? No physical manifestations?"

"Like clanging chains?"

"Like flying objects. You know, typical poltergeist type stuff."

"Ah. No, nothing like that," the Doctor replied. He went on to relate his theory about the prototype creating a temporal fissure when it malfunctioned and the time corridor being the end result with all the sightings just glimpses into history.

"That doesn't explain how statues _move,_" Eroica objected.

"If they were repositioned, that would overlap with the current time line making it _appear_ as though they were moving," the Doctor said simply.

Jason nodded. "I was afraid my questionable source might've run into this…ghost," he said finally. "But it was violent. This…whatever-it-is, seems to only be interested in scaring the pants off of people."

"Obviously, more investigation is necessary before we say it's just a benign manifestation," the Doctor concluded.

"Obviously," Jason agreed with a sigh.

"And what about us?" the Major wanted to know. "Are we to stay in Moscow while you lot—?"

"Christ!" Eroica exclaimed, gaining everyone's attention. "My men are still in Leningrad!" He turned to Jason, his eyes wide. "They think I've gone to look at an art collection. They don't even know I went missing. They could be under arrest for all I know."

"I'm sure someone in Bonn noticed I didn't return from Moscow when expected as well," the Major replied blandly.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "As soon as Jason contacted me that you were safe, Major, I let NATO know you had been unavoidably detained."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'll bet that went over well."

The Major gave a derisive snort. "My Chief was probably delirious hoping I'd been killed."

"Actually," the Doctor broke in, "I pulled a few strings with UNIT to assure the West that you were not being held against your will. You're welcome to contact them yourself."

"And my men?" Dorian asked.

Jason gave the Major a steady look. "You're the expert in these matters, Major. Do you think the KGB will've arrested them?"

"At this point, I doubt _anyone_ will admit to being involved in the plot to bring Eroica to the Soviet Union," the Major replied knowingly. "That was a blunder that Ivanov and Borodin made."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Eroica demanded. "That they're trapped in this country now?"

"Very probably."

Eroica put a hand to his head, overwhelmed by the prospect. _Trapped in the Soviet Union!_

"Perhaps I might be able to assist," the Doctor injected mildly.

Eroica looked up sharply. "How?"

Turlough could not help but laugh. "The Doctor has friends in high places."

Eroica's eyebrows went up and he turned to look at Prince Jason, who also laughed.

"Don't look at me, Dorian," Jason chuckled. "Even in my time, the Doctor has more clout than I do."

The Doctor grinned. "You think so?"

"I know so," Jason stated flatly. "So, who do you know in Communist Russia? The General Secretary? Or the head of the KGB?"

oOoOoOo

As it turned out, the KGB was only too willing in assisting the Earl in getting his men out of Leningrad. However, this was contingent under the condition that Eroica never make public the fact that he had been brought to the Soviet Union under false pretenses.

With the Doctor's assistance, Eroica was able to contact his men in Leningrad in order to give them the evacuation order. He was also able to contact the North Downs and order his Zeppelin sent to transport everyone back to England. Within a very sort period of time, all the proper authorities were notified, and the clearances were given.

Several hours after this was accomplished, a guard came for the Earl, telling him that the Director wished to speak with him about the evacuation of his men. Eroica was nervous about this at first, but knew that nothing would happen to him now that the ridiculous plot had been uncovered. Now all he had to do was wait until his own transportation back to England could be arranged.

oOoOoOo


	16. A Proposition Gone Wrong

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

**A PROPOSITION GONE WRONG**

After learning that his men would be out of Leningrad within hours, Eroica felt like dancing back to the TARDIS. Despite everything, this trip had not been a total loss, even if he hadn't seen the full contents of the warehouse. He had managed to procure more than enough trinkets to pay for his trouble. And then some.

Eroica was singing by the time he passed an open doorway on the ground floor. He glanced idly inside the room and stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth dropping open. On the far wall was an enormous painting that he recognized instantly. A long lost masterpiece that had vanished during the Second World War. He crossed to the threshold and stood staring. Then he entered the room, pulling off his tie and stuffing it into his coat pocket. He wondered abstractly how the Major could stand wearing a suit on a daily basis.

"Exquisite," he breathed approvingly. "Absolutely magnificent."

"Didn't you steal enough already?" came a stern voice from behind him.

Eroica spun around, relaxing visibly when he saw Jason leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded, a disapproving scowl on his face. "First the Major, then the KGB. Are _you_ following me now?" he asked accusingly before continuing across the room.

Jason looked at the painting that practically filled the wall. "I think that's just a tad too big for you to carry out of here," he remarked aridly.

"I still have the pocket dimension you were kind enough to return to me," Eroica countered, patting his chest. He received a disapproving snort in reply. He glanced at the carpet under his feet and stopped, squatting down to run a hand over the surface, feeling the texture and examining the workmanship. "This is genuine," he said in surprise, throwing a disbelieving look over his shoulder. "Chinese. I wonder if it's certified Communist."

"Funny," Jason said ironically. "That painting certainly isn't Chinese."

"No. Fifteen century Italian, actually," Eroica informed. With a grin, he added, "The Major would be horrified by the subject matter, don't you think? All those naked bodies. Scandalously indecent."

"What's it supposed to depict? Man's love for his fellow man, woman, and farm animal?"

"Now who's trying to be funny?" Eroica crossed to the edge of the carpet and then examined the polished wood floor. "Teak. I think this floor is teak!"

"That's good, I take it?"

Eroica turned back to look at his friend, who was still watching him from the doorway. "Jason, I thought you were an aristocrat, not a barbarian like the Major."

"So sue me," Jason replied darkly. "What's the big deal about a teak floor, anyway?"

The heels of Eroica's shoes clattered loudly on the wood floor as he moved closer to the painting. "It's not just the floor. That painting is a lost masterpiece. The carpet is Nineteenth century Chinese, and in case I miss my guess, that's an Eighteenth century desk over there." He turned back to look at Jason again. "This is KGB Headquarters, not the Kremlin Palace. It's supposed to be all austere and functional. So, what's all this luxury doing here?

"You're asking me?"

"Jason, I haven't forgotten you're an alien." Eroica gave his friend a sideways glance through his eyelashes and lowered his voice seductively. "In fact, we never _did_ get the chance to discuss all the things you could turn into."

"Oh? And you really think this is an appropriate time?"

"Any time is an appropriate time."

"Uh-huh," came the non-committal reply

Eroica pulled off his suit coat and tossed it carelessly aside. He leaned against the wall beneath the painting, putting his hands on the molding atop the wainscoting and striking a seductive pose, fluttering his eyelashes. "Can't I tempt you?" he said in an exaggerated breathless tone, tossing back his blond curls. "Not even once?"

Jason's face remained unreadable. "To do what, exactly?"

"Change into something…_exotic._"

"Exotic? And then what?

"Oh…I'm sure I'll think of something," Eroica purred seductively, going on to make a show of unbuttoning his vest.

After a long silence, Jason sighed heavily. "Alright, fine." He stepped through the door, closing it behind him.

Eroica blink, certain that he had just heard wrong. "What?"

Jason hit the light switch, plunging the room into almost total darkness. The only source of light was a small banker's lamp on the desk Eroica had pointed out a few minutes earlier. "You've worn me down. I concede defeat. I acquiesce to you demands." As he spoke, he crossed to the thunderstruck thief.

"Jason, what—?" Eroica's words were cut off when the other man suddenly took his face in his hands and kissed him very passionately on the mouth. When he came up for air, he stared at the Alterran in blank astonishment. "What're you doing?"

"I thought that was obvious."

Eroica tried to back away, only to realize he was already backed up against the wall. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, hear the blood pounding in his ears. He had been teasing Jason for so long that it had become second nature. A game they played whenever possible. The last thing he expected was that the adamantly heterosexual Alterran would suddenly make this equally adamant one hundred and eighty degree turn. Jason had never been even slightly aggressive with him physically. He was always so mild mannered. Then the violent incident with the Captain in the mind probe room returned to mind and Eroica stiffened visibly. _What have I done?_

"Jason, you're scaring me," he said at last.

"I'm not scary."

"You are now."

"What makes you say that?"

Eroica felt a chill run down his spine as the Alterran reached over and started to play with his long blond hair. "Because this isn't like you," he said in as even a tone as he could manage.

"Isn't it?"

"No."

"I think you _want_ someone scary," Jason observed in an almost seductive tone, taking a small step back.

"What?"

"Someone…_very_ scary."

Eroica's eyes grew wide as the Alterran's body shimmered and the Major was suddenly standing before him. "Jason, what are you doing?" He felt a second chill run down his spine when the reply came in the Major's voice.

"Jason? No, call me Klaus."

"Now you _are_ scaring me. This isn't funny."

"It isn't supposed to be funny. You wanted me to turn into something exotic, but _this_ is what you really meant, isn't it?"

"No, not—"

"Don't lie to me, Dorian."

Again, Eroica shivered as the reply came in the Major's voice. _Dorian. The Major **never** calls me Dorian._ "I'm not lying. It wouldn't be real," he stated flatly. He was becoming more and more unsettled by the second. The Prince—_no, the alien. He's an alien!_—suddenly reached over to unbutton his shirt and he took hold of his hands to stop him. "No, Jason, not like this. It isn't real." He tried to push the pseudo-Klaus away and was rewarded with a savage slap across the face.

"Is that real enough for you?"

Speechless, Eroica stood with a hand to his stinging cheek and stared at the man who had suddenly become a stranger.

"Everything always has to be on _your_ terms, doesn't it?" the stranger growled. "Your ridiculous romantic fantasies."

Before Eroica could even think of a reply, he received a savage punch to his stomach that sent him to his knees. The next thing he knew, he was struggling to fend off the incredibly powerful being in a brutal attack of fists and feet. Within a few minutes, he was a dazed and battered heap on the floor. He was vaguely aware of being dragged across the polished wood surface. Then his hands were being tightly bound together.

"What are you doing?" he demanded as his bound hands were pulled over his head and lashed to the leg of a heavy table. "Jason, have you gone completely insane?"

His reply was another forceful kiss. The man…the alien…his attacker!—was facing in the direction of the only source of light in the room and Eroica could actually make out his features. He stared at the face that was identical to the Major's in every detail. Despite having been brutally beaten, he still found himself wishing that this were the real thing. Then the pseudo-Klaus sat back and looked at him, his eyes catching the light. They looked as though they were actually glowing green. That incredible, captivating…

Eroica felt his heart miss a beat. _Green! Bloody hell, his eyes are green!_ In a flash, he had a horrifying realization. The man looking down at him was _not_ Jason. The only thing the Alterran could not change when he transmuted was his eye color. Eroica had learned this detail during their last encounter. So, who the hell was this?

"You're not Jason," Eroica said in as even a voice as he could manage. "Who are you? Why are you doing this?"

"I'm whoever I want to be," came the evasive reply. "And I'm doing exactly what _you_ would expect me to do."

"Dammit, that's not a bloody answer!" Eroica snapped angrily, pulling against his bindings in frustration. To his horror, the man—_the alien_—suddenly ripped open his shirt, tearing the material and sending the buttons flying in all directions. Then he was running his hands up and down the thief's exposed chest, causing him to catch his breath.

"You have very soft skin," the alien said, sounding as if this were a surprise. He ran a caressing hand over a thick braided gold chain the thief had around his neck. "Pretty," he said quietly.

_Take it! Take it and go._ Eroica closed his eyes and shivered as the hands started to play over his chest again, his terror rising with each passing second. He had a horrible feeling he knew where this was heading. First was the acknowledgment of all his advances, then a savage beating. Now he was bound and helpless. As soon as his captor started fondling his nipples, he knew for certain what was to follow….

Eroica's worst fears were verified as his captor's hands suddenly moved downward, pausing momentarily when they reached his belt before going on to unfasten it. "No!" he cried, finding his voice again. He thrashed unsuccessfully to keep the inevitable from happening.

"No? This is what you've always wanted," came the taunting reply. "You and the Major. Together."

"Not like this!" Eroica pulled frantically at his bindings as his trousers were pulled open and yanked down. They were followed by his underwear, fully exposing his genitals. His heart was pounding so hard he felt it was about to leap from his chest. "No, please, no," he begged as his captor straddled his legs and then half-sat, half-knelt on them, effectively pinning them to the floor.

Eroica caught his breath, stiffening visibly as a hand started massaging his testicles, a low groan escaping him. "No…" he moaned, his back arching reflexively as a hand wrapped around his growing erection and started to slowly move up and down its length.

Eroica closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on reality. _This isn't real. This isn't the Major. This isn't… This isn't… Stop, please, stop! Dear God, if you really exist, make it stop!_

Unfortunately, and despite his unwillingness, his body reacted to the stimulation. He gasped as his captor suddenly started to suck on his slowly hardening penis and shivered as the pseudo-Major's long, dark hair brushed against his exposed skin. Eroica gave another low moan as his captor succeeded in coaxing his penis into a full erection.

_If only it **were** the Major. It feels so…so… Wrong!_

"Please, don't," Eroica heard himself saying. To his surprise, the man stopped. But only long enough to rise up onto his knees and slap him hard across the face with the back of his hand, snarling at him to shut up.

The startled Eroica cried out in pain. Then he cried out in agony as his tormentor took his engorged member in an iron grip and used it to lift his hips from the floor. With his hands attached to the table and his legs pinned beneath the alien, he felt certain he was about to be non-surgically castrated. Obviously, his captor wanted to drive home the point that he was completely powerless to stop what was happening—or what was about to happen.

With his dominance fully established, the alien started sucking on his captive's penis for all his was worth, moving his mouth rhythmically up down its length.

Eroica's mind was now a confused jumble of conflicting emotions. How could he be aroused and terrified at the same time? He knew what was happening was completely wrong, but could not convince his body that this was the case. It was trying to convince _him_ that this was a pleasurable experience and he should enjoy it. That somehow this was a fantasy come to life.

Eroica was completely helplessly against the unrelenting onslaught, unable to stop his body from jumping or arching reflexively as the powerful being practically swallowed the entire length of his erection. Eventually, he was trembling so badly that he was sure he was virtually convulsing. He couldn't move, couldn't fight, couldn't stop… Couldn't stop… _Why is this happening?_

"Nooo."

Eroica groaned as his body finally won the battle, his back arching as he climaxed, his attacker greedily sucking the cum as he ejaculated into his mouth, going on to milk every drop of semen from him.

Breathless and exhausted, Eroica went limp. He prayed that this would be the end of it. That this twisted parody of the Major would just leave him for someone else to find. But this was not the case.

Suddenly the pseudo-Major was practically lying on top of him, kissing him forcefully on the mouth, the taste of his own semen still on his captor's lips.

"Wasn't that fun?" the alien asked brightly.

Again, Eroica felt a chill run down his spine at the uncharacteristic bounce in the Major's voice. "No, it bloody well wasn't," he replied without thinking.

The man's face twisted into an evil grin as he took his captive by the throat. "You don't think this is fun? _I_ think it's fun."

Eroica did not think it possible, but found himself even more terrified as the creature took hold of the gold chain and started to twist it into a garrote. He pulled against his bindings, his body thrashing wildly as he struggled in vain to breathe. _Dear God, he's going to kill me!_

Eroica was just on the verge of losing consciousness when the strain became too much for the clasp on the chain and it finally broke. He gulped in huge lungsful of air, closing his eyes tightly. He did not want to look at the expression on the face of his attacker. Nor did he want to see if he was preparing to strangle him again. Even though he knew intellectually that it was not the Major, it did not help emotionally.

To Eroica's relief, he heard the chain strike the floor as it was dropped. Then he felt the alien climbing off him and was afraid to contemplate what violence was to follow. To his horror, he was suddenly being flipped onto his stomach. His trousers were already down almost to his knees, exposing his buttocks and upper thighs. He felt his heart in his mouth as a hand started caressing his bare backside. "No," he moaned weakly. "Please, stop this."

His captor was sitting on his legs again, pinning him facedown to the floor. "Stop? You want me to stop?"

"Yes…"

The alien grabbed a fistful of his captive's abundant hair and jerked his head back, pulling a cry that was a combination of terror and pain from him at the same time. "I haven't even started," he hissed coldly. He released his grip and sat back, reaching down to unfasten his own belt.

It was at that moment the door on the far end of the room opened. The newcomer took in the scene in the semi-darkened room in mute astonishment. It seemed obvious what was going on. He was about to make a discreet exit when he noticed Eroica was tied to the table leg. _Is this bondage play or the real thing?_ The answer came almost immediately when Eroica suddenly called out. "Help me! Somebody, please—!" The rest of his words were cut off as a gag was forced into his mouth.

"I told you to shut up," the alien snarled. "Now, scream all you want. No one's gonna hear you."

"Someone already did," came Jason's angry voice from the door. He reached inside, turning on the lights. Eroica's attacker looked up and Jason's mouth dropping open in astonishment. "Major…?" _That's impossible. I just left the Major in… Who the hell is **this?**_ he thought as he stormed across room.

"Go away or you're next," the pseudo-Major said threateningly as Jason came to stand over him.

"I think you'll find I'm a bit harder to overpower than a human," the Alterran snapped coldly, pulling the man off Eroica with one hand.

The imposter gave him a startled look and then vanished into thin air.


	17. Once A Healer

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

**ONCE A HEALER…**

Jason blinked and stood staring at his now empty hand. "Well, that was unexpected," he said ironically.

Eroica gave a low moan, leaning his head against one arm. He was so dazed and exhausted that he did not even realize Jason was there or that his attacker had fled. As far as he knew, this was just another pause in the violence. Maybe if he were lucky, he would pass out.

Jason looked down at the helpless individual lying prostrate at his feet, the physician in him fighting with his rage.

The physician won.

"Oh, Dorian. What did he do to you?" Jason whispered as he knelt beside his battered friend. He started to pull up the thief's underwear, causing him to jump, a muffled cry of fear escaping him. "I'm pulling them up, not down," he said soothingly.

Finally, Eroica recognized the voice and twisted around to look at him. Then he realized that the lights in the room were on and wondered why he had failed notice this before.

Jason reached over to remove the gag and was puzzled when Dorian flinched away. Then he noticed how unfocused the man's eyes were, his pupils fully dilated. _Has he been drugged?_ "Don't be afraid, Dorian. It's me, Jason," he said gently as he removed the cloth from his friend's mouth.

"Jason…?" Eroica looked around, but found he could not focus properly. The room around him as well as the figure beside him were just a blur of color. "Are we back to square one?" he asked bitterly.

Jason gave him a bewildered look. "What?" He untied the rope securing Eroica's hands to the table, allowing him to turn onto his side. At the same time, he took in the bruises blossoming all over his friend's body.

"Just kill me and get it over with."

"Dorian, it's _me,_ Jason."

"How do I know you didn't just change again?"

Jason was struggling to untie the knot on the rope binding Dorian's hands together while struggling to understand what he was talking about. He was not succeeding with either. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm the same Jason Krystovan you met seven years ago."

"The _same_ Jason Krystovan?"

"Yes. Do we have to go through all _that_ again?" Jason stopped struggling with the knot a moment to sit back and look at him.

Eroica met the Alterran's questioning gaze as best he could. "No. Just kiss me."

Jason blinked. "What?"

"You heard me. If you're the same Jason—"

"My God, Dorian, don't you _ever_ quit?" the incredulous Jason exclaimed. To his bewilderment, he saw relief wash over Dorian's face, his body relaxing visibly at the same time.

"It _is_ you," Eroica said in a relieved sigh, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "He…it looked just like you," he explained shakily, "before he changed into that…that…" He gave way to an involuntary shudder. "But his eyes were _green._ They changed to _green,_ and you can't do that."

Jason was genuinely surprised. "You remembered that about me after nearly four years?"

"Yes."

"I am suitably impressed."

"You should be flattered," Eroica said without thinking. He had not meant it to sound like a petulant remark, but it still seemed to come out as one. To his relief, Jason apparently realized this and said simply, "I am."

The Alterran Healer held off the hundreds of questions that were filling his mind. The battered man on the floor beside him was in no condition for an interrogation. He finally got the knot untied, freeing his friend's hands. "Here, let's finish getting you put back together," he said gently. He started to pull the thief's trousers up to where they belonged, stopping when Dorian's body went rigid and his hands moved to stop him, a sharp cry of "No!" escaping him.

"Dorian, I'm not going to hurt you," Jason said mildly. "I would _never_ hurt you."

Eroica closed his eyes again and nodded, allowing his friend to continue. "Sorry. I'm just…"

"You're just scared out of you mind," Jason said, his gentle tone unchanged. He finished redressing his friend as best he could and then squeezed one of his hands. "I'm going to look after you." He gave Dorian a searching look. "Do you believe me?"

"What?"

"Do you believe me?" Jason repeated. "Considering what you've just told me, I want to make absolutely sure I know where I stand."

Eroica smiled weakly. "Yes, I believe you."

"Good." The Alterran started to move what was left of the thief's shirt out of the way, causing him to jump. _Don't react. Don't say anything. He's jumpy enough as it is._

"Dorian, look at me," Jason said firmly, receiving an unfocused look in response. "I need to look at your face, okay?" He put a hand under his friend's chin as though he were examining the bruises on his face and the mark on his neck. Instead, he was looking at his eyes and scanning him. He found no drugs in his system, but detected a great deal more than he expected, anger passing over his face like a dark cloud.

"As soon as you can stand, I need to get you to the infirmary, or whatever they call it in this place," Jason said, waving a hand in the air. "Then we can play—" He broke off and sighed heavily. "Now you've got _me_ doing it."

Eroica scowled. "Doing what?"

Jason gave a small smile. "I was going to say play doctor, but I don't think the obvious double entendre is appropriate just now."

Eroica gave another weak smile before he shakily closed his trousers and refastened his belt. Then he looked at his shirt. Part of the material was torn and all of the buttons seem to have been pulled off and were probably halfway across the room. "I think this is a lost cause."

Jason smiled briefly, helping his friend to sit up before sitting down beside him. The last thing the obviously traumatized Dorian needed was to be rushed. He needed to take this at his own pace, and Jason was perfectly willing to give him as much time as he needed. When Dorian was ready, he would help him from the room.

"I can't stop shaking," Eroica said quietly. He looked down at his trembling hands, finally wrapping his arms around his body as though hugging himself.

"Don't try. It's an adrenaline response," Jason informed quietly. He looked around. "Where's your suit coat?"

"Over there, I think," Eroica replied shakily, nodding in the general direction of where he had tossed his coat.

Jason nodded and quickly retrieved it, going on to help his friend put it back on. He received a weak smile as he did this. Then he sat down again and looked into Dorian's enormous blue eyes. He looked on the verge of tears. "Come 'ere," Jason said gently, and pulled the trembling man over to him, wrapping his arms protectively around him.

Eroica shifted his position slightly, leaning his head against Jason's chest and listening to the steady beating of his heart. He suddenly felt safe and protected as the Alterran wrapped his arms around him, pressing the folds of his jacket against his body. He felt relief wash over him. _This_ was the real Jason. The alien—_no, the man_—who had saved his life on more than one occasion. The man who, a long time ago, had told him adamantly that he would not to let him die, despite all the evidence to the contrary. The man who had just rescued him from…from…

"I thought he was gonna kill me," Eroica admitted in a small voice. Then the ugly, brutal reality of what had just happened seemed to hit him all at once and he broke down, burying his face against Jason's chest.

Jason gave his sobbing friend a gentle squeeze and stroked his mass of blond curls. "It's over. You're safe now," he said soothingly. It was like comforting a child, he thought, and considering their age difference, this was not far from the truth. He knew he was going to have to press for details, eventually. In fact, he'd probably have to fight to learn exactly what had happened once this strong willed human recovered from the shock.

But not now.

Dorian was still too badly shaken. Now he needed to be handled with kid gloves.

Jason quietly stroked his friend's hair, the only sound in the room Dorian's occasional quiet sobs as he struggled to regain his composure. After a few minutes, the Major's disapproving voice suddenly broke the silence like a pistol shot. "Shall I close the door so you two can have some privacy?" he asked contemptuously.

Jason looked up, choosing to ignore the remark and the dozens of sarcastic replies that sprang to mind. "Major, this is escalating. Dorian was _physically_ attacked," he stated flatly. He watched in amazement as the officer's manner changed instantly. The Major drew himself to his full height, his expression going from revulsion to outrage, and Jason would have sworn he saw concern momentarily flash across his features.

"When?" Klaus demanded as he entered the room. He held up a hand, and pointedly asked, "No, who?"

"To answer your questions in order," Jason replied. "About five minutes ago, and we don't know." He turned to the shaken man beside him. "Do you think you can stand?" he asked softly.

"I'll try."

Jason put his friend's arm over his shoulder and helped him to his feet. Dorian was still unable to stop trembling and leaned against the Alterran who put an arm around his waist to support him.

By this time, the Major had crossed the room and could clearly see the evidence of the assault. Notwithstanding his torn clothing, Eroica was covered with bruises, had ligature marks on his wrists and throat, and what looked like the beginnings of a black eye. Without a word, he moved to his side, placing the thief's other arm over his shoulder to assist Jason in helping him from the room.

Jason observed this extraordinary display of apparent concern with a small smile. Sometimes the Major could be the most inscrutable of individuals.

"Where are we going?" the Major asked, breaking into Jason's thoughts.

"Does this place have a decent infirmary?"

"Define decent."

Jason threw the Major a sideways glance. _Was that a joke?_ "It would be nice if it had the technology from this time period. What you would consider up-do-date."

"Jason, this is the Soviet Union," the Major replied with a snort. "The only thing up-to-date here is the propaganda."

"Then we're going to the TARDIS."


	18. Things Have Escalated

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

**THINGS HAVE ESCALATED**

Turlough was in the console room, his eyes fixed on the data readings when the exterior doors suddenly swung open. He looked up in surprise when Jason and Major entered supporting the battered Eroica.

"Jason, what on earth…?"

"Dorian was attacked," Jason stated succinctly. He looked around the room and then back at Turlough. "Where's the Doctor?"

"He's out taking readings," Turlough replied, waving a hand toward the doors. "He asked me to monitor the energy spikes."

Jason was halfway across the console room and stopped short, turning back to face him. "What energy spikes?" he practically demanded.

Before Turlough could respond, the Major cut in. "Can't this wait until _after_ you've seen to Lord Gloria's injuries?" he asked, much to the surprise of all present.

"I think this may be important," Jason said firmly. He looked the puzzled Eroica in the eye. "Can you wait a few minutes?"

Eroica nodded. "Yes."

Jason looked at the Major, seeing him glaring angrily at him. He unflinchingly met the officer's disapproving gaze. "Don't make me order you, Major."

The Major stiffened visibly. Despite the fact that Jason had differed to him as an expert in several things, he was still the one in command, Klaus reminded himself, and he _had_ agreed to assist in his mission. Even though it was obvious he wanted to say a considerable amount in response, his reply was to help Eroica to a chair while Jason crossed to the console.

Turlough watched this battle of wills in an awed silence and was only returned to reality when the Prince forcefully asked, "Turlough, what energy spikes?"

Turlough pointed at the display he had been monitoring when the group arrived. A long printout was cascading to the floor beside it. "The Doctor noticed them when we first arrived. They've been fluctuating quite a bit. Most of them coincide with those ghost sightings. Up until a minute ago, the strongest reading that registered was the transmat. But that's been deactivated."

"I'm assuming you just got another strong reading?" Jason said, his eyes flashing over the equipment.

"Yes. It went off the scale and then…stopped. Just like that."

"About ten minutes ago?"

Turlough gave the Alterran a stunned look. "How could you possibly know that?"

Jason nodded, turning in the Major's direction. "Our alien attacker, no doubt."

Turlough scowled. "What?"

"An alien _something_ attacked Dorian," Jason informed. "It's definitely not a ghost. But it _can_ change form like I can."

Turlough rolled his eyes. "Great. Any other good news?"

"Yes. It vanished into thin air before my very eyes."

Turlough blinked. _Note to self. Do not ask questions you do not want to hear the answers to._ He tore off the printout and started to fold it up.

"I have no idea what it is, but if I know the Doctor, he'll have a name to go with that scant description," Jason remarked.

"A name, history, and planet of origin, most like," Turlough agreed. "I was just going to go look for him when you arrived." He waved the papers in the air. "He wanted to see the recordings as soon as anything registered."

Jason nodded approvingly. "Tell him we may've found a connection."

"Consider it done." Turlough turned toward the door.

"I'm coming with you," the Major announced.

Turlough stiffened visibly. "I don't think so."

"It wasn't a request. There's already been one civilian casualty. I'm not making it two."

Turlough threw a pleading look in Jason's direction.

"Don't look at me," the Prince said in response to his unspoken request. "I happen to agree with him."

Eroica made a small, startled noise. "I think Hell just froze over."

Jason shot him a sideways glance. "Funny."

"Jason…" Turlough began, only to be cut off.

"Turlough, you'll be better off with the Major than without him."

"Why?"

"Well, for one thing, you're less likely to be hassled by the KGB."

Turlough shot a quick look at the Major, who was in the process of lighting a cigarette.

_"And,_ Jason added pointedly, "you're unarmed. The Major has a very big gun, isn't afraid to use it, and is a crack shot. Believe me, you couldn't be in safer hands."

Klaus blew smoke in the air. "I want you at my next efficiency review," he remarked aridly before heading towards the door. "Come. The Doctor won't learn anything with us here."

"No, Major, wait," Jason called.

The officer stiffened visibly before he turned, an impatient look on his face.

Jason was already addressing Turlough. "Do you have a TARDIS key?"

Turlough scowled. "No, why?"

"Because I'm locking the doors behind you and not letting anyone back in again." Jason pulled out his own TARDIS key. "Major, I think you'd better carry this." The Major reached out to take it and Jason pulled back. "No, hold out your hand, palm up."

Klaus gave the Alterran a dark look but did as instructed. Jason placed the key in the palm of his outstretched hand. "There," he said happily. "Now, it will only work for you and me. No one else."

"How is that possible?" the Major asked, looking at the oddly shaped key in fascination.

"DNA, for one thing. It now has yours and mine imprinted in its memory."

Klaus continued to look at the key in amazement, marveling at the technology that would produce such an item. "DNA…" he said quietly. Obviously, there was a great deal more to this new marvel of modern science than anyone in his time realized.

Eroica could just see the wheels turning in the officer's head. "He's already wondering how to reproduce that, Jason."

Jason grinned at the dark look this produced on the Major's face. "I'm afraid that's Time Lord technology. The key also has psychic coding that's linked to the TARDIS telepathy circuits. In an emergency, such as now, the key will only work for those individuals that the operator trusts."

Klaus looked up. "The operator?"

"The Doctor."

The Major's eyes narrowed a moment before he pocketed the key. The more he learned about the Doctor, the more he suspected that he was considerably more than the unassuming alien he made himself out to be.

"Major," Jason said in a serious tone, "according to Dorian, that alien can change its eye color. I can't. My eyes are blue. Sapphire blue, to be even more specific."

The Major looked directly at the Alterran Prince, memorizing his features before he nodded. "Good to know. Just don't go changing your appearance," he replied crisply. He then turned on his heel, vanishing through the doors. Turlough threw Jason a dark look before grudgingly following him.

As soon as they were gone, Jason closed and locked the exterior doors. Then he turned to the battered Dorian. "Just you and me again, it seems," he said as he crossed the room.

"Is that your way of saying 'Alone, at last?'" Eroica replied, trying very hard to keep his voice from trembling. He did not succeed and Jason gave him a concerned look.

"No, actually. I didn't think you'd be up for any of our usual nonsense."

Eroica blinked. "_Our_ nonsense?"

An amused smile spread across the Alterran's face as he helped his friend to his feet. "Good Lord, Dorian, you don't think I'd put up with your constant harassment if I were seriously annoyed by it, do you?"

"I have no idea. After hearing _you_ agree with Iron Klaus, I'm not sure about anything anymore."

Jason gave a small chuckle. "Let's get you patched up first, shall we? Then we can go into the intricacies of our non-existent relationship."

* * *

While Turlough would never have admitted to it, he found himself grateful that the Major had insisted on accompanying him. They had scarcely left the room in which the TARDIS was stored when two soldiers appeared at the end of the corridor. They regarded the pair momentarily, received a piecing glare from the Major after which they decided that continuing in the opposite direction seemed like a good idea.

The Major turned to Turlough as if nothing had happened. "Did the Doctor indicate where he would be taking his readings?"

"No, but if I had to guess, I'd say he went to that prototype," Turlough replied. "He seems to think that's the nexus point."

"Nexus point?" This was a new one.

Turlough pushed open the door to the transmat room and was relieved to see the Doctor was actually there. He also had the control podium in pieces.

The Major stepped through the door and stopped dead. _And people accuse **me** of being a machine maniac._ "Doctor, what are you doing?"

The Time Lord looked up, the grin on his face disintegrating when he saw the grave expression on Turlough's face. The Major always looked serious, but his companion was another matter entirely. "What's happened?" he asked, rising to his feet.

"Things have escalated," the Major replied soberly. "The Earl was physically attacked by whatever it is that's haunting this building."

"What?" The Doctor's mind raced through all the information he had gathered. There was nothing to indicate that the…creature were violent in any way. Then he recalled Jason's questionable source. "When? Where?"

"Within the last half hour. And in an office a short distance from here."

Turlough cleared his throat and held out the printout. "We brought this for you, Doctor," he said, explaining about the readings coinciding with the incident.

The Doctor took the papers and quickly flipped through them. He heaved a heavy sigh and looked up. "Other than the intensity, this still tells us nothing."

"Then perhaps we should question Jason and the Earl," the Major suggested. "Jason said that it vanished into thin air."

"How badly was Dorian hurt?"

The Major's eyes flickered. "The thing beat the shit out of him," he replied succinctly. "He had ligature marks on his wrists and throat."

The Doctor nodded. "Jason won't let us near him until he's convinced he's alright," he said knowing. "That gives us at least an hour or two."

The Major frowned. "An hour or two for what?"

The Doctor grinned back at him. "To see if we can convince the KGB to evacuate this section of the building."

"What?" Turlough and the Major said in unison.

"Doctor, you're not serious?" Turlough objected.

"Completely!"

"You're also completely mad," the Major rejoined. "Do you really think you can convince the KGB to evacuate an entire section of a building because of a disappearing alien? They'll lock us up!"

The Doctor gave him a knowing look. "We'll see, Major. We'll see. I've convinced people of far worse things."

Turlough sighed heavily. "He has, Major," he injected. "I've seen him do it."

The Major considered. "I'm glad I'm not a betting man, Doctor, or I'd ask you to quote me the odds on this succeeding."

* * *

"This it the last place I ever thought I'd see again," Eroica remarked as he entered the TARDIS sickbay.

Jason gave him a small smile but did not reply. He led the still shaken man into a large room and then over to an examining table.

Eroica started to climb onto the table but was stopped by the Alterran, who put a hand on his arm and then turned him around, looking him in the eye. "Dorian, you realize I'm going to have to give you a complete physical examination, don't you?" he said seriously.

Eroica met the Healer's steady gaze. "Why?"

"You already know why."

"You haven't even asked me what happened yet," the thief protested.

Jason's serious expression did not change. "Dorian, I'm almost three hundred years old. I know what I walked in on. I just haven't asked how far it got."

Eroica closed his eyes and shuddered. "Far enough."

"I know you need time," the Alterran Healer said gently. "But the sooner you tell me exactly what happened, the sooner we can go about catching that thing. As far as I can tell, you're the only one who's had any kind of extended contact with it."

"Lucky me," Eroica said ironically. He opened his eyes and took in the room. "So…what now?"

"Now you—" Jason could not help himself and laughed. "Dorian, you are the last person I ever thought I'd be saying this to."

"What?"

"Take off your clothes."


	19. Healer Mode

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

**HEALER MODE**

Several hours after his arrival in the TARDIS sickbay, Eroica was fast asleep in one of the guest rooms. The last time he had been Jason's patient, he had been more dead than alive and remembered very little of what had happened until he woke up in one of the recovery rooms.(2)  
(2) My story – Do UNIT & NATO Spell Disaster

This time was different. Although battered and badly shaken, he was fully aware of what was going on. He was also amazed that Jason wasn't in the least self-conscious about what he was doing, or to whom he was doing it. Considering the unrelenting sexual overtures Eroica made every time they met, the thief found this quite remarkable. In fact, it was he who was self-conscious, possibly for the first time in his adult life.

Jason had taken note of this, going on to remark on how truly prudish the Earl actually was, being "all talk." Eroica did not reply, because he knew it was true. His over the top behavior was an excellent shield that kept all but a select few at bay.

After a scan was taken of Eroica's body, Jason produced what he called a "Rape Kit" and proceeded to very carefully collect evidence from all over his patient's body. The Healer explained exactly what he was doing and why as each procedure was carried out.

Eroica wondered just how much his friend could deduce about what had happened to him, and how the tiny samples of DNA could identify his attacker using something called a DNA profile. He had heard about this newest breakthrough of modern science, of course. DNA was the buzzword in the criminal underground, although many of the courts were still dubious as to its validity. Now, here was Jason talking about it with such conviction. He had mentioned it in the console room as if it were commonplace. Then again, now that he thought about it, Eroica realized that it would be commonplace to someone from the Twenty-seventh century.

"Do you want me to explain it to you?" Jason had asked in the gentle, soothing tone he adopted when in "Healer mode." After a pause, he added, "It might help keep your mind off of what I'm doing."

Considering the Alterran was about to start swabbing his genitals and combing out his pubic hair, Eroica agreed that this was probably a good idea. Then he listened in mute fascination as his alien physician explained about DNA, genetic fingerprints, the best sources of DNA on the human body, and so on. The next thing he knew, the examination was over, all his injuries had been treated, and Jason was giving him a robe to wear.

Jason led the still shaken Eroica to an enormous bathroom where he could either shower or soak in a warm bath. He chose the latter. Jason provided him with a pair of the most luxurious silk pajamas he had ever seen, a stack of towels, shampoo, and several very exotic smelling soaps. Then he made a discrete exit, saying that he would give his friend a little privacy while he bathed, but would be just outside in the sickbay should he need him.

After a long, relaxing soak, Eroica went on to take a shower, washing his hair and body several times. He wondered if he would ever feel clean again. As he dried himself off, he looked at the artificial skin that Jason had used on his injuries. The scratches and bruises were still there, of course, he could feel them. But they were completely camouflaged, just as the first set of bruises had been. He exited the room to find Jason at work at a computer, patiently waiting for him.

Jason looked up when Dorian opened the door and stood nervously looking at him. He just smiled and got to his feet, leading the way to the residence area

Jason held open the door to a guest room, allowing Dorian to look inside. "Well, does this room meet your high artistic standards, Lord Gloria?" he asked with a smile.

Eroica gave his friend a puzzled look. "I get to choose my room this time?"

Jason's smile widened. "Why not? There are several dozen," he informed. "Let's say this one is temporary until you've gotten some rest."

Eroica nodded and entered the room. He gave his surroundings a cursory glance before making straight for the bed and climbing in, sinking into it gratefully.

Jason dimmed the lights, throwing a quick glance over at his patient. There was an odd, almost frightened look in his eyes. He checked himself before asking if Dorian were still afraid of the dark. _No need to add trauma to trauma._ "Will you be alright on your own?" he asked instead.

"I…suppose…"

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Would you?" _Well, that was pathetic,_ Eroica thought with a wince, adding quickly, "Just until I fall asleep."

The Alterran gave a small smile. "Dorian, I'll stay as long as you need me to." He took a seat near the bed and stretched. It had been a very, very long day.

Eroica settled himself under the covers and turned onto his side. He looked at his alien friend a moment before saying quietly, "Jason, you have a very soothing bedside manner, has anyone ever told you that?"

"Not in those exact words, no. The Doctor calls it 'Healer mode.' He says if you know what to look for, you can see it happen." Jason smiled self-consciously. "Personally, I think he's just pulling my leg."

"No, he's right." Eroica hesitated before going on to say, "I know how this will sound, but…I'm glad it was _you_ who found me."

Jason gave his friend a bewildered look. "Why?"

"Because—" Eroica paused. "You don't see me the way others do."

"Didn't we have this conversation once before? I'm not from your time. I don't use the same standards of judgment."

"I don't know if it's that, either. You're…" Eroica searched for the right words. "You're very easy to talk to."

Jason frowned. "This is a problem for you? As I understand it, you have men and women practically throwing themselves at you."

"Yes, and jabbering inanities at me at the same time. I should think you have the same problem. You're incredibly good looking, Jason, but you don't seem to care one way or the other."

"You mean I'm not vain, like you?"

_Ouch._ "You're also brutally honest."

"Sorry. The fact that my true self scares the hell out of people may have something to do with that."

"Only at first." Eroica drew a deep breath. "I feel—I don't know—_safe_ talking to you. I've thrown some rather ridiculous propositions your way, but you've never retaliated. The Major usually threatens to hit me."

"Dorian, I threaten to do all kinds of things to you."

"But never seriously."

"True." Jason paused, shaking his head. "It isn't easy, y'know. You are relentless. It's as if you think that one day I'll magically change sexual orientation and—" He broke off as a frightened look came to Dorian's face. Somehow, he'd just struck a raw nerve. "You okay?"

Eroica shuddered, pulling the covers up more. "Someone just walked over my grave." He tried to put on a brave face, but knew he wasn't fooling anyone, including himself. "At least you've never taken a swing at me," he said in as upbeat a tone as he could manage.

Jason gave an amused grunt. "The last thing you want is for _me_ to lose my temper. When Mt. Jason erupts…" He shook his head. "The Major is an amateur compared to me in a full-blown rage."

Eroica was genuinely surprised. "You mean you didn't lose your temper in the mind probe room?"

Jason laughed, shaking his head. "I was damn close. I've gotten better at keeping my temper in check over the years, thankfully." He drew a deep breath and sighed heavily, leaning back and closing his eyes. "I don't know about you, but I'm very tired."

Eroica studied him a moment. "Jason…?"

Jason did not move. "Yes, Dorian."

"Don't tell the Major what happened to me."

Jason frowned and sat up. "It's a little late for that, isn't it? He helped me bring you here."

"No, I mean…" Eroica sighed heavily. "Don't tell him the details."

"Dorian, I don't _know_ the details." Jason saw a pained look come to his friend's face.

"You just used a rape kit on me," Eroica said gravely. The only reply he received was a steady look. He returned the look with a serious one of his own. "Jason, I am trying very hard to be serious."

"And succeeding admirably."

"You know he'll say I deserved it."

Jason gave his friend a steady look. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hells bells, Jason, this is Iron Klaus we're talking about!"

"Are we?" Jason asked pointedly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know about me in Healer mode, but I've seen the Major switch over to Iron Klaus. It's…chilling, to be honest."

"That's my point."

After a thoughtful pause, Jason nodded. "If you don't want me to tell him, I won't. I'm your doctor. And more importantly, I'm your friend."

"Thank you."

After a short silence, Jason said, "You should tell the Doctor what happened."

Eroica scowled. "Why?"

"Because chasing hostile aliens is what he does best. If anybody's got a chance of catching this thing, he does," the Alterran said knowingly. "He won't judge you, either."

The man in the bed gave a laugh of irony. "I wouldn't be so sure. You didn't hear what he said after you passed out in the transmat room."

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? What did he say?"

"I don't remember."

"Don't lie to me, Dorian," Jason said playfully. The horrified look this statement produced puzzled him. Somehow, he had struck a nerve again. "What did the Doctor say?"

"He said I was spoiled, selfish, and self-centered."

Jason blinked. "You are."

"Thank you very much."

Jason actually laughed. "He must've been very angry to be so blunt."

"He said we almost killed you."

"Ah." Jason nodded, a knowing look coming to his face. "Protective mood. Did he apologize?"

"Later, yes, but…"

"He meant it. He always does." Jason met his friend's questioning look. "He won't tell the Major if you ask not to. Believe me, he's very good at keeping secrets."

After a long silence, Eroica nodded. "Alright. I'll take your word—" A sudden thought struck him and he caught his breath, his eyes growing wide. "Bloody hell, Jason!" he cried, sitting up in bed. "The Major!"

"What about him? Surely _he's_ not spoiled and self-centered."

Eroica had a panicked look on his face. "What if that wasn't the Major?"

Jason was suddenly completely lost. "What? When?"

Eroica did not seem to hear him. "We just assumed it was. What if it wasn't?" He threw a frightened look over to the door. "And we sent Turlough with him—_alone!_"

"Dorian, welcome back," Jason said with a grin. "You're finally thinking straight again." He held up his hands to calm his friend. "Don't worry. It _was_ the Major."

"You can't know that for sure."

"Yes, I can." Jason met Dorian's questioning gaze. "Do you remember the body scan I took of you?"

"Yes. What has that to do with anything?"

"Well, I only did that to get the information into the computer. I didn't need to do it for me. I can scan anything I touch. And I touched the Major when we brought you here. Believe me, it _was_ him, no question about it."

Eroica blinked. "So…when you touched me…"

Jason gave his friend an apologetic look. "I knew all I had to know."

The man in the bed closed his eyes a moment. "You can be very scary sometimes, did you know that?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."

Eroica looked up sharply, giving the Alterran a stricken look.

Jason's eyes narrowed. "_Now_ what?"

"Nothing," Eroica replied and he slid back under the covers.

"Something. That's the third time you've done that."

"Done what?"

"Reacted negatively to something I've said."

Eroica shuddered as a chill ran down his spine. "That thing sounded a lot like you."

The Healer nodded and then waved a hand in the air. "I won't press for details. You need to sleep. You're exhausted." He leaned back in his chair again, closing his eyes. "And so am I."

The room was silent for several minutes.

"Jason…?"

"Yes…"

A pause.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, go to sleep before I sedate you." Jason heard a low chuckle in response to this. A good sign.

"Always with the threats…"

An amused smile came to the Jason's face. "Idiot."


	20. Dorian's Story

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

**DORIAN'S STORY**

The Doctor sat quietly in Eroica's room, his face unreadable. He was in the chair Jason had occupied earlier, listening intently as the Earl gave his account of the alien's attack. Jason was seated on the edge of the bed, giving moral support whenever his friend faltered.

After Eroica completed his story, there was a long silence. The Doctor sat mulling everything over, his face still unreadable. Jason sat watching him, patiently waiting for the Time Lord to speak.

Eroica was not as patient. "Isn't anyone going to say something?" he said at last, looking from one to the other.

"Yes, actually. I have a question," Jason said quietly.

Eroica gave him a suspicious look. "What…?"

"I'm going to assume that you were wandering in that part of the building because you were looking for something worth stealing," Jason began calmly, his voice lacking its usual disapproving edge.

"No, I was on my way back from the third floor," Eroica replied defensively.

"Then what made you go into that room?"

Eroica gave Jason a bewildered look. Then he realized the Alterran must have meant which of the numerous art pieces in the room had caught his attention. "The painting."

Jason scowled, throwing a bewildered look in the Doctor's direction. "What painting?"

Eroica sat up a little more. "What painting? That huge thing on the wall."

"Dorian, there's no painting in the room I found you in," Jason informed. "It's just an office."

"A very opulent office," the thief countered in as forceful a tone as he could manage.

The frown on Jason's face deepened and he threw a quick glance in the Doctor's direction, seeing a thoughtful expression on his face.

The Time Lord held up a hand. "Dorian, what did it look like to you?" he asked. "As much detail as you can remember."

Eroica described the room and the numerous works of art that he had pointed out to the false Jason.

The Doctor saw a stunned look come to the real Jason's face and asked what the room had looked like to him. His description was completely different to that of the Earl.

"I know what I saw!" Eroica said defensively.

"Dorian, no one is arguing with you," the Doctor said calmly. "I think you saw exactly what you were meant to see. Something that would entice you to enter the room."

"Like bait." Jason sat back, his eyes widening. "Doctor, what do you know you're not telling us?"

The Doctor gave his former traveling companion a small knowing smile. "I have a few theories…" he said evasively.

Jason turned to the bewildered Eroica. "Translation. The Doctor's not going to tell us anything helpful until he narrows down the dozens of possibilities he has in his head. We could be here a while."

The Doctor ignored the jib, addressing Eroica. "The alien. You said he looked like Jason at first."

"Looked like, walked like, talked like…" Eroica confirmed.

"But not acted like?" Jason injected.

"Only at first."

"And the Major?" the Doctor asked.

"The same. Only…" Eroica paused. "Well, he acted more like the Major than not."

"In what way?"

"Well, the Major _has_ taken a swing at me on more than one occasion. He even held a gun to my head once."(11)  
(11) Veni, Vidi, Vici!

"Has he ever threatened to kill you?"

"Several times."

The Doctor's eyebrows went up. "Interesting."

"If you say so. I find it very disconcerting."

"It hasn't stopped you from harassing him at every opportunity, though, has it?" the Time Lord pointed out more harshly than he intended.

Before Eroica could reply, Jason broke in. "I think we're straying from the point just a bit, Doctor."

The Doctor's eyes flickered but he did not reply directly. "Dorian, you said this thing changed into the Major's likeness _before_ it physically attacked you."

Eroica nodded. "I thought it was Jason until I saw his eyes."

"Wait a minute," Jason broke in. "Did he sound like me or the Major?"

"The Major, why?"

Jason sat up a little straighter and turned to the Doctor, a startled look on his face. "Doctor, he didn't sound that way to me. He looked like the Major, but the voice was…odd. I can't really describe it."

The Doctor gave him a thoughtful look. "Could you duplicate it?"

"I only heard a few words…"

"Do the best you can. This may be important."

The Alterran nodded and closed his eyes, recalling the incident. Then he repeated the words the alien had spoken in a voice that was several times deeper than his own and had an odd, growling quality.

The Doctor gave a small nod before turning back to the Earl. "What did the room look like after Jason arrived?"

Eroica scowled. "I don't understand. I just told you what it looked like."

"You told me what it looked like _before_, what about after?"

The Earl put a hand to his head. "I don't really remember. I _was_ a bit of a mess by then."

"Unfocused?"

"Very…" Eroica caught his breath. "Yes! I couldn't focus properly." He turned to Jason, his eyes wide. "That's why I didn't believe who you were at first. I recognized your voice, but I couldn't make out your face."

Jason nodded, turning to the Doctor. "I noticed that, too. I thought he'd been drugged. His pupils were the size of dinner plates, and his hypothalamus was working overtime."

"Sensory override," the Doctor said calmly, looking at the bewildered Eroica. "The alien, or whatever it is, must've overridden your visual and auditory senses."

"You mean…it actually took them over?" Jason asked in amazement. He sat back, his eyes focused in the distance. "That would explain a lot."

"How?" This was Eroica, who was hanging on to the conversation by a thread.

"The hypothalamus regulates, among other things, fear and sexual arousal."

"You saw, heard, and reacted just as it wanted you to," the Doctor said, a hint of anger creeping into his calm voice. "And when it was gone, your senses were able to return to normal."

"No wonder I couldn't…" Eroica shuddered, closing his eyes. "How would it know how to…to…"

"Use the proper techniques?" the Doctor said helpfully, receiving a nod in reply. "Forgive an indelicate question, but was it your preferred method of…?"

"Doctor!" This was Jason, who had a horrified look on his face.

"I did agree to tell him everything," Eroica reminded.

"I know, but there _are_ limits."

Eroica gave a small smile. He found Jason's sudden protective behavior against the Doctor, of all people, to be very amusing. "What I'd really like to know," he said, hoping so completely sidestep the question, "is how it knew so much about Jason and the Major."

"As if it—" The Doctor blinked. "As if it read your mind."

"Do you think that's why it didn't work on me?" Jason asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Insufficient data, as K-9 would say. Possibly. Or it could be because you weren't the target."

"But Jason saw the Major, just as I did," Eroica objected.

"Yes, odd that. If it's capable of shape-shifting—and forgive me, Jason, but that's the best term to use here—it should also be capable of replicating voices."

"Unless it wasn't shape-shifting. A holo-projector would produce the same visual effect," Jason replied.

Eroica sat back and put a hand to his head. "You two are getting beyond me again."

Jason smiled and gave him a sympathetic look. "You know what a hologram is, don't you?"

"Of course."

"Well, this projects the image around the object. Or in this case, the person."

"The ultimate disguise," Eroica said, his eyes brightening.

"Jason, you're giving him ideas," the Doctor chided playfully.

Jason snorted. "Look who's talking. You're the one who gave him the pocket dimension."

Eroica could not help but laugh at this. Then he realized it was the first time he had felt even remotely like himself since the incident the day before. "How could it have me seeing and hearing things?" he asked.

"A focusing device of some sort, presumably," the Doctor replied.

"Why me?"

"I don't know."

"It seems to thrive on fear, doesn't it?" Jason remarked offhandedly.

The Doctor caught his breath, his eyes focused in the distance. "Fear. It _thrives_ on fear. Terror…" He jumped to his feet, striking his forehead with the palm of his hand. "Of course! Why didn't I see it?"

Eroica gave Jason a searching look, only to receive a shrug and shake of the head in reply. Obviously, they were both lost this time.

"Jason, you're a genius!" the Doctor cried and turned sharply back to look at Eroica. "Dorian, who's the most violent person you know?"

"The Major, obviously," Eroica replied blandly.

"And the gentlest?"

Eroica turned his gaze to Jason.

The Doctor nodded. "You wouldn't think it unusual for the Major to strike you, but you would if it were Jason, correct?"

"Doctor, what are you getting at?" Jason wanted to know.

The Doctor was becoming more animated by the second, the words tumbling out of him. "It used your likeness, Jason, to get past Dorian's defenses. Then it turned everything on its head." He turned sharply to Eroica, who was struggling to keep up. "Until you saw his eyes were different, you thought the person attacking you was Jason, yes?"

"Yes."

"And it terrified you."

"To put it mildly." Eroica closed his eyes, giving way to an involuntary shudder.

The Doctor gave him steady look. "You said you asked it why. What was the reply? The exact words."

"I don't really remember, exactly."

"Then tell me inexactly."

Eroica drew a deep breath. "He said something like, 'I'm who I want to be and I'm doing what you'd expect me to do.' Something like that."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. "What you'd expect me to do…" he repeated. "That is a very odd choice of words."

"I take it that means something?" Jason injected.

The Doctor seemed to snap back to reality. "If it got all the information out of Dorian's head, then it does, in an odd sort of way." He looked up. "It gave you a fantasy mixed with reality. What you've always wanted with what you know as reality. Result?"

"Absolute terror," Jason replied, his eyes growing wide. He turned to Dorian, seeing a horrified look on his face. "The more frightened you were, the stronger it got."

"And the more violent," Eroica agreed.

"Precisely. Which just began the cycle all over again," the Doctor stated flatly.

"So how do we go about finding it?" Jason wanted to know.

"Until I learn more, I've no idea."

"Swell," the Alterran moaned. He threw a quick glance in Eroica's direction seeing him close his eyes. He seemed to be holding on by a thread, and was clearly exhausted. In a blink, Jason was in Healer mode. "Are we done here?" he asked. "Dorian still needs to rest."

The Doctor observed the Alterran's change of mood with a knowing smile. "Yes. We're done, for the moment."

"Good."

The Doctor started toward the door. "Perhaps the computer can make something of those samples you pulled."

Jason got to his feet, giving Dorian a steady look. "You get some rest. I'll be back to check on you later," he said gently. He received a half smile in return. He turned, following the Time Lord from the room.

The Doctor waited until the door was closed before asking, "Did you recognize the genetic information that thing left behind?"

The Alterran shook his head. "No. I've never encountered it before. It has some very strange properties, though. There's artron energy present, and a faint trace of chronons. I'm not sure if they're naturally occurring or from contact with Dorian."

The Doctor nodded. "The TARDIS should be able to sort that out."

"I hope so."

The Doctor gave his Alterran friend a steady look. "You really are worried about him, aren't you?"

Jason nodded. "For all his show of indifference, Dorian is very vulnerable emotionally."

"But not with you, it seems," the Doctor observed astutely.

"What do you mean?"

"He trusts you not to hurt him."

"What?"

"My dear Jason, you really can be obtuse sometimes, do you know that?"

Jason gave the Doctor a dark look. "It's a good thing you trust _me_ not to hurt _you_ right now."


	21. Data And Theories

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

**DATA AND THEORIES**

"Major, I'm not really sure how Dorian will react to you," Jason said as he led the officer to the sickbay. "He's still pretty shaken."

The Doctor had given the Major an edited version of events, telling him that the Earl had been lured into the room by the alien when it looked like Jason. It had then changed into the Major's likeness before physically attacking him. Obviously, the officer assumed he knew the rest. The real Jason had arrived in time to intervene before the alien could inflict any permanent damage on Eroica, or before it decided to kill him.

"That's to be expected," the Major replied coolly.

"Just…let me tell him you're here, alright?" Jason paused outside the door. "He might be asleep."

The Major's eyes flickered but he did not reply. He had no doubts that the Earl would agree to see him. It wasn't often that he actually came of his own volition. The idiot would probably be beside himself with ecstasy.

The Alterran slipped into the room and Klaus lit a cigarette as he waited. A minute later, Jason reappeared and pulled the door open, waving the Major inside.

"I'll be out in the main sickbay, Major," Jason said as he left.

The Major nodded and then turned to see Eroica sitting up in bed in a reasonably sensible pair of long silk pajamas. His enormous blue eyes were wider than he had ever seen them. Whether this was due to fear or astonishment, he could not tell. What did surprise him was the fact that the Earl wasn't bubbling over with glee. Perhaps Jason had been correct in his observation that Eroica might not be able to separate the real Klaus from the false one.

"I didn't expect _you_ to be checking on me, too, Major," Eroica remarked mildly.

Klaus noticed a slight tremor in the Earl's voice and found himself surprised by this, too. He crossed to the chair and sat down, leaning back to study the Earl's battered appearance more closely. Jason had told him that he had covered the bruises, but Klaus could see Eroica's face was still slightly swollen. "I have a message for you," he said calmly.

"Message?"

"Yes. Your men arrived safely at the North Downs this morning. I thought you would want to know."

Eroica closed his eyes and sat back in bed. "Thank you, Major. I've been very worried about them."

The Major nodded, taking a drag on his cigarette. "The Doctor told me that thing attacked you looking like me."

Eroica looked up sharply, a shiver running down his spine. "Yes. It looked like Jason at first. Then it…changed." He shivered again, and hugged himself. "I looked _just_ like you, Major. Exactly."

The Major's eyes flickered. "And then it attacked you?"

Eroica nodded. "The Doctor thinks it read my mind. That it became you so it could…"

"So it could beat you up?" Klaus snapped angrily. "Is that what you consider me, Lord Gloria? A bully?"

"Major, you can't deny that you've hit me."

"Twice. Perhaps three times in how many years?"

"You held a gun to my head!"

"You're still here, you idiot! And even _you_ couldn't miss at that distance."

"Very funny."

"I don't beat up people who can't defend themselves," the Major said fiercely, rising to his feet. "And I especially don't tie people up so I can beat the shit out of them. You, of all people, should know that."

Eroica sat with his mouth agape. He never expected so vehement a reaction. Surely, the man would change his tune if he were to learn the whole story. "I'm sorry, Major," he said quietly. "That came out badly."

The Major drew himself to his full height but did not reply. He did not sit down again, either. He stood glaring down at the Earl, the smoke from his cigarette turning into a storm cloud above his head.

"What I was _trying_ to say was that the Doctor thinks that thing was trying to make me afraid by having people I trust do things…" Eroica voice trailed off and he shuddered. "Having them do things they wouldn't normality do." He met the officer's gaze steadily. _Argue with that one!_

Klaus blinked. Then he nodded. "That makes sense. Although, I'm puzzled as to why it would suddenly start a physical assault. Until now, it's been using psychological means."

"The Doctor's puzzled by that one, too."

The Major stood thoughtfully a moment. "Perhaps all the reports should be gone over again." He turned on his heel and headed for the door.

"Major!" Eroica called out.

Klaus stopped dead and stiffened visibly, turning back slowly. "What?"

Eroica smiled brightly. "Thank you for coming to visit me," he cooed, primping his pajama top. "Only next time, let me know in advance so I can be properly undressed."

The Major sighed heavily. Obviously, it had been too much to hope for that the Earl would carry on a conversation without making at least one indecent remark. "Do you _want_ me to hit you now?"

"No. I'm just making sure it's really you."

"You idiot."

* * *

Several minutes after the Major left, Jason reappeared in Dorian's doorway. "Well, how did it go?"

Eroica smiled brightly. "Surprisingly well, I think. Not one serious threat. And he even gave me a message that my men returned home safely."

"Excellent." Jason gave his friend an appraising look. "You feel up to getting out of bed for a bit?"

"Oh, do I!" Eroica practically threw the covers off the bed.

Jason could not help laughing at his enthusiasm.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry. This might be inappropriate under the circumstances, but… Normally you're the one trying to get everyone _into_ bed." Jason was relieved when his friend laughed. He held out a hand. "I thought you might like to wear something other than pajamas."

Eroica looked down at himself, rubbing the fine silk material. "These are quite nice, actually."

"The Doctor tells me they're from when he visited the court of Kublai Kahn."

"Kublai Kahn?"

"Yes. Apparently, he won them playing backgammon."

Eroica shook his head. "If it weren't the Doctor we were talking about, I'd say you were making this up."

"Just trying to distract you. I have no doubts that you'll be adding them to the other goodies in the pocket dimension," Jason replied knowingly.

"Oh! The pocket dimension!" Eroica gasped, a hand going to his mouth. "I don't know what happened to it." To his relief, the man at the door was suddenly holding out the little pouch.

"It was in your coat pocket," Jason said mildly.

Eroica took the pouch and smiled, clasping it to his chest. "I've grown rather fond of this."

"I'm not surprised." Jason turned and led the way out. "Come on. I have another treasure trove for you to see." He threw a quick glance over his shoulder. "But it isn't to end up in that little goodie in your hands, got it?"

"No promises," Eroica joked. "What is this treasure trove?"

"You just wait and see. I know how you love surprises."

Within a few minutes, the pair were standing in front of a plain white door. It looked like the dozens of other plain white doors in the stark white corridors of the enormous interior of the TARDIS. Eroica regarded it a moment and then turned to Jason. "Well, don't keep me in suspense."

"Open it," Jason invited.

Eroica hesitated. "Why? What's in there?"

"The TARDIS wardrobe. Well, one of them."

"Wardrobe?" Eroica's eyes narrowed. "How big is it?"

"I think the word _enormous_ might cover it." Jason grinned and pushed open the door. "Where do you think the Major got all his changes of clothes from?"

A small delighted noise escaped the Earl as he took in the gigantic room. "Oh, my…" As far as he could tell, it would hold at least one football pitch, possibly even two. It was literally packed, from floor to ceiling, with clothes. From hundreds of different worlds and hundreds of different time periods. Racks and racks and racks of the most exquisite clothes he had ever seen.

Jason took the thunderstruck Earl by the hand and pulled him through the door. "Over there are the mens clothes," he said, waving a hand to take in the ocean of garments. "Over there are the ladies. There are the accessories. Shoes, belts, jewelry, and what not. And over there, is the mirror, although I suspect you'd've found that on your own."

"I've died and gone to heaven," Eroica said at last. Then, without thinking, he gave Jason an enormous hug.

"Dorian, you're crushing me!" the amused Alterran protested.

"Oh, Jason, I think I love you," Eroica sighed, planting a kiss on the other man's mouth.

Jason took a stunned step back. _Christ, he's a damned good kisser._ "Down boy, or I'll call for the Major to protect me." He could not help but grin at the obvious stars in Dorian's eyes. He had hoped the wardrobe would help get his friend's mind off what happened to him. He never dreamed it would work so well as to make Dorian forget _everything._

"I don't know where to start," Eroica said as he crossed to the nearest rack of garments.

"You can have as much time as you like," Jason replied happily. "I'm supposed to go help the Doctor and the Major sort through all that data that was collected. And, apparently, the KGB was good enough to supply the incident reports that they've been keeping over the years."

"Sounds like you've got a full afternoon ahead of you."

Jason grinned. "I think yours is going to be more fun."

* * *

The Doctor scowled down at the papers that were strewn all over the console room floor. Well, perhaps not strewn. The Major had been meticulously sorting the reports, having divided them into categories. Each category containing a stack of papers, some stacks being larger than others. Turlough was at the console loading the data into the computer as it was called out to him. Jason, in the meantime, had simply listened as each event was described.

"So, what can we conclude from all this," Jason asked finally. "Aside from the fact that this thing seems to have been operating, relatively undetected, for decades."

"I can't shake the notion that this is some kind of…mind parasite," the Doctor remarked.

The Major looked up and frowned. Then he noticed that Jason and Turlough seemed equally perplexed. "Mind Parasite?" he asked.

"Yes. I encountered one once that fed off evil.(12) Perhaps this one feeds off fear."  
(12) The Mind Of Evil

Jason's eyebrows went up. "Well, jumping out at people in the dark is certainly enough to frighten them," he remarked. He glanced at the stack for that category. Then a thought struck him and he looked over at the Major. "Are all those from the same time period?"

Klaus turned back and picked up the stack, quickly thumbing through them. He nodded. With the exception of the events of the past week, all the other instances were within a fifteen year time period that ended sometime in the mid 1970s. The Major looked up. "That's when that bastard Borodin started the matter transmission experiments."

The Doctor gave him a stunned look. "I'm guessing that's not common knowledge."

"No. But NATO intelligence has been keeping tabs on it," Klaus replied. "It's been rumored that every time a dissident vanished without a trace, it was through that thing." He gave a small smile of irony. "I can now attest to the fact that the rumors were true."

"Yes…" the Doctor said thoughtfully. "It seems Comrades Ivanov and Borodin were keeping house for someone."

"Doctor," Turlough injected, "you're not saying they were working with that…whatever-it-is, are you?"

"Hardly. But the creature, parasite, whatever-it-is, seems to've giving up its spectral diet of tiny frights and developed a taste for sheer terror." The Doctor nodded over to one of the stacks, adding, "And if all those reported disappearances are in some way connected to this, its appetite is increasing."

Jason sat back in his chair, his eyes wide. "My God, it's like an addict," he whispered.

The Major turned sharply to him. "What?"

Jason gave him a steady look. "The pattern fits that of an addict. You humans have all kinds of hormones kick in when you're frightened or startled. An adrenaline rush being one of them. Fight or flight, I think is the current theory." He looked over at the Doctor. "But it can't be just the adrenaline rush from fear. There are other emotions that trigger the same biological reactions."

"Yes, but the psychic energy it creates is different," the Doctor pointed out. "The parts of the brain that are utilized for rational thought are different than those used when in a blind panic."

"Doctor, are you saying this creature is like the thing in the Hakol probe?"(4) Turlough wanted to know.  
(4) The Awakening

Jason frowned, throwing a quick glance in the Major's direction. "Hakol probe?"

"Yes. Turlough and I just had a run in with one in 1984," the Doctor replied. "The inhabitants of Hakol utilize psychic energy the way humans utilize electricity. It's just another power source to them."

"So…it's not unreasonable to assume there's something out there that feeds on the psychic energies produced by fear," Jason concluded.

"And anyone being tossed into that transmat would undoubtedly be terrified."

The Major remembered Eroica's reaction when he was thrown into the booth. Terror. Raw terror.

"And now that it's offline?" Turlough asked.

"If it is an addict, it's probably going through withdrawal," Jason concluded. He nodded at the papers in the Major's hands. "Obviously, the spectral events of a few years ago aren't enough anymore. It's gotten addicted to the heightened energies produced by sheer terror."

The Major's eyes widened. "That's why it attacked the Earl! He was the last one to be thrown into the booth."

"Yes," the Doctor replied thoughtfully. "It would've been familiar with his fear pattern."

"But why the physical attack?"

"Conditioned response, perhaps. From what I understand, the guards were rather physical when they threw him into the transmat."

The Major nodded and then looked the Doctor in the eye. "So, how does knowing all this help us catch it?"

* * *

Jason returned to the wardrobe to find Dorian curled up on the floor. Or more accurately, curled up on a mound of clothing on the floor. He felt his heart in his mouth at the thought that he had taken ill. "Dorian?" he said worriedly, touching his shoulder.

Eroica rolled onto his back and smiled. "Mmmm. Hello, love."

"Oh, thank God!" Jason said in a relieved voice, sitting down on the floor beside him. "I thought you'd passed out."

Eroica rubbed his eyes, finally coming fully awake. "Jason? I thought…" He sat up slightly and looked around. "I must've been dreaming."

Jason nodded but did not remark on the fact that he was delighted his friend had not had a nightmare. "I see you found something to your liking," he said instead, taking in the Earl's incredibly elaborate outfit. What struck him was the brocade jacket that was very similar to the one he himself had worn when he first appeared in the infirmary six centuries in the future.

"I found _lots_ of somethings, as you can see," Eroica replied muzzily, rubbing his eyes again. "Do you think the Doctor would mind if I kept just a few outfits?"

"Jesus Christ Almighty, Dorian!" Jason moaned. "Can't you keep your mind off thieving for five minutes?"

"I've been in here longer than five minutes."

Jason put his head in his hands. "Give me strength." The man was impossible. When he looked up, he saw the Earl studying him with an odd look on his face. "Now what? Have I grown another head?"

"No. I'd…like to ask you something," Eroica began hesitantly. "I'm just not sure how to go about it."

"My Lord, you actually sound serious."

"I am, and that's just what I wanted to ask."

Jason blinked. "You've lost me."

"I know about your being an alien and all that. And that you speak English rather than your own language…"

"Ye-es…"

"It's…the expressions you use. My Lord. My God. Pray this works. I need another miracle." Eroica paused before asking. "Are they just…"

"Expressions?" Jason completed, receiving a nod in reply. "No, they're not."

Eroica blinked. "I never thought about it before. That…well, aliens might…"

"Might also believe in a Supreme Being, as it were. Someone higher than themselves working for the greater good," Jason stated succinctly.

"Yes. You…really believe that?"

"With all my heart."

Eroica sat back and looked at the Alterran a moment. "How?"

Jason laughed, lowering his eyes. "Dorian, I'm a doctor. I've seen too many strange and wonderful things to believe that it's all a random jumble. People call me a miracle worker. But I like to think I just pass on the miracles I'm given." He looked up, his eyes narrowing as he noticed his friend was clearly uncomfortable. "I assume you don't agree."

"Jason, I'm a homosexual."

"Yes, I am _keenly_ aware of that fact."

Eroica drew a deep breath and looked the Alterran in the eyes. "Do you think I'm evil?"

"What?" Jason gasped. "Where on earth did that come from?"

"I've been called some really horrible things. I'm…an abomination against God, apparently."

Jason sat back and marveled. "Dorian, I think you'll find that your own Bible says that homosexuality is a sin against the _flesh. _That the…er, _act_ is an abomination."

The Earl looked up sharply. "You've read the Bible?" he said in disbelief.

"I've read a lot of the works from your planet." Jason gave a small smile. "I prefer the view that one should hate the sin and love the sinner." He saw Dorian close his eyes in response to this and said mildly, "I suppose all that is dependent on what one considers a sin."

"I guess."

Jason could not help but smile at the petulant tone. "What do you believe?"

"I'm an atheist."

Jason found himself marveling again.

Eroica lowered his eyes. "So's the Major," he added quickly.

Jason let out an amused squeak. "Now there's irony for you," he snickered. "Aren't I supposed to be the godless alien?"

"I suppose." Eroica could not help being amused and gave him a sideways glance. "What about the Doctor?"

"Ah. I have no idea, actually."

"What? After all the time you've known him?"

"I supposed he'd consider himself an agnostic. But to be honest, in all the time I've known him it always seemed to be understood that the subject was off limits."

Eroica sat thoughtfully for a minute, mulling this over.

"Dorian, why is this suddenly so important to you? You're a _thief_, for petty's sake," Jason said amusedly. "I seem to remember 'Thou Shall Not Steal' being in the Bible, too."

"I don't know. I suppose…" Eroica's voice trailed off and he considered a moment, only to frown. "Why is it whenever I'm around you I get all serious and introspective?" he said accusingly.

Jason laughed as he got to his feet. "Because I'm easy to talk to? Change of pace?" He gave a sly grin. "Because I'm a good kisser?"

Dorian gave him another sideways glance.

Jason held out a hand. "Come on. The Doctor's sent Turlough and the Major off to take some readings. That'll take a while. I thought you might like something to eat before they need me again."


	22. Turlough

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

**TURLOUGH**

Turlough was not pleased to be teamed up with the Major when he was sent to collect the energy readings. The Doctor had insisted that the best way to verify his theory would be to check the areas where the most recent sightings had taken place. He had also insisted that the officer go along.

The Major carried a map upon which the Doctor had indicated the areas they needed to check and the last energy reading that had been taken there. As the pair moved through the building, Turlough would report the reading and the Major would make a notation on the map alongside the Doctor's figures.

It seemed that all of the readings were going down. Eventually, the pair finished at the furthest point, and turned to go back to the TARDIS. Turlough was inwardly grateful this odious task was over, as the Major had done nothing but berate him the whole time. The only reason the boy did not snap back was the fact that the officer was armed.

_The Doctor is going to have a lot to answer for,_ Turlough thought darkly, sending him off with this control freak.

* * *

As Turlough slowly trudged after the Major, he suddenly found himself wishing he had stayed in Little Hodcomb with Tegan. As soon as this thought went through his mind, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"I've gone mad," he muttered darkly. He looked up just in time to see the Major turn a corner further up ahead and sighed heavily as the call of, "Hurry up, boy," followed.

"Coming!" Turlough called. "I know, I know. The readings won't deliver themselves," he grumbled, adding a few uncomplimentary remarks at the same time. His pace was far from hurried, however. It wasn't as though the KGB was likely to hassle him now that the entire section of the building had been cleared. He stopped and looked down a corridor, recalling how it had been filled with people only a few days earlier.

When he turned back, he gave a startled cry. The Major was suddenly looming over him, a look of thunder on his face. "Don't do that!" Turlough snapped, a hand going to his chest. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Can't you follow even the simplest order?" the Major demanded.

Turlough gave him a dark look. "Look, I'm not one of your underlings, Major," he snapped, having had his fill of the man's badgering.

"You're not anything as far as I can see."

Before Turlough had the chance to come up with a suitable retort, his arm was taken in an iron grip and he was being pulled down one corridor and then another, in the wrong direction. Then he was being pulled through a doorway. "This isn't the way to the TARDIS!" he protested. He pulled his arm free and tried to leave, only to be shoved further into the room. "What are you doing?" he demanded as the door was closed.

"You need to be taught a lesson, boy."

"And who's going to teach it to me? You?" Turlough spat bitterly.

"Yes, me."

"You don't know the first thing about me."

"You tried to kill the Doctor."(13)  
(13) The Guardians Trilogy

Turlough stiffened visibly, his mouth dropped open. "Who told you—" His eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening. "You're that…that…_thing!_" The reply was a wry smile that sent a chill down his spine. As frightening as the Major was, the alien creature was even more so. He could predict what the Major would do…well, more or less. But this thing. There was no telling.

"You can't scare me like you did the Earl," Turlough said in as even a tone as possible. "You can't give me a twisted parody of what I want."

"Do you even know what you want, Turlough?"

Turlough gave a bitter laugh. "Like I'm going to tell you!" He fought to keep in control of himself, to keep from running in terror, doing anything in terror. He waved a hand in the air. "Let me see what you _really_ look like. Not this bad copy of the Major."

The alien changed form, taking on the Doctor's likeness. "Really, Turlough, there's no need to be insulting. I know exactly what you want."

"And what's that?"

"You want to be accepted. One of the crew. You want the Doctor to trust you the way he does Tegan. Am I right?"

"Shut up!"

"The Doctor doesn't want you around, does he?"

Turlough clenched his fists in rage. "I said shut up!"

"He doesn't trust you. Nobody trusts you. Sometimes you wish you could just cut out your heart, it hurts so much."

"You don't know anything!"

"Oh, but I do," the alien said in a low voice as it slowly started to advance.

The sound of Turlough's terrified scream echoed out in the corridor, but there was no one there to hear it.

* * *

The Major was moving so quickly that he practically fell into the console room when he arrived. He took in the stunned occupants before he practically demanded, "Is Turlough here?"

The Doctor was at the console, Jason beside him. Eroica was in a chair a few feet away, leaning on his elbow, a bored expression on his face.

"No. He's supposed to be with you," the Doctor replied in an almost accusing tone.

"He's missing."

"What? _How?_" The Doctor threw a horrified look back at the console. They had started picking up yet another energy spike only minutes before the Major arrived. _Which meant…_

"He was following me, then he wasn't," the Major was saying. "I searched the area but couldn't locate him."

"So you thought he came here ahead of you," Jason completed, receiving a nod in reply. "Well, he didn't." He threw a worried look in the Doctor's direction. "Would he just wander off like that?"

"Not with a violent alien on the loose," the Doctor replied knowingly. "In fact, I'm surprised he even let you out of his sight, Major."

The Major shook his head. "I was careless. I let him lag too far behind."

Eroica gave a startled cry. "Major, I don't believe for a minute that _you_ would be that careless."

Klaus gave him an angry look, but it was himself that he was angry with.

Before the inevitable argument could begin, the Doctor intervened. "Major, take us to where you last saw him. We'll start there." He turned to Eroica, adding, "Not you, Dorian."

"I wasn't even thinking of going," Eroica replied shakily.

"Good. You can hold the fort, as it were. And lock the doors behind us," the Doctor ordered. He turned to Jason. "I'm going to assume you gave the Major your key," he said in a mildly disapproving tone.

"I did. When he and Turlough went to find you the day Dorian was attacked," Jason confirmed. "I explained about the psychic imprinting, too."

The Doctor nodded, pulling another key from a compartment in the console and wordlessly handing it to the Alterran. He then turned to Eroica. "No matter what happens, _do not_ open the doors for anyone. We'll let ourselves in."

Eroica shivered. "Don't worry. I'm not getting anywhere near that thing again if I can help it."

* * *

Jason looked around the empty hallway and then over at the Major. "You last saw him here?"

The Major nodded. "Right where you're standing. Dragging his heels." He tried not to sound disapproving. Turlough was his responsibility, and he had allowed himself to lose sight of him. If anything happened to the boy, he would never forgive himself for such incompetence.

"Yes, that sounds like Turlough," the Doctor agreed. "No signs of a struggle, not that I expected any."

Jason held up a hand. "Then let me listen. That's how I found Dorian."

The Major gave him a startled look. "You heard him?" Somehow, he felt he should have known the Alterran was capable of this, yet it still surprised him.

"Yes." Jason closed his eyes, altering his sensor array to increase the volume of his hearing. After nearly a minute, he moved down the hallway in one direction, then back in the other. Suddenly, he heard a sound. A low gurgling moan. Pain. His eyes snapped open, searching the hall for the source of the sound. "He's here…"

The Major watched the Alterran move further along the corridor and drew his gun. "That's the wrong direction," he said quietly to the Doctor.

"Which would explain why you couldn't find him," the Doctor whispered back.

* * *

"Mother of God…"

This was all Jason could think to say. The sight that met his eyes was too horrific for words. He would not have even known the body beside the alien was Turlough were it not for the boy's red hair.

The Alterran Healer had seen his share of death, of mortal injuries, of man's inhumanity to man. But this was just…just… Jason closed his eyes as he realized there were no words to describe horror he felt.

The alien did not even seem to care that he had been interrupted. He simply glanced up, the blade in his hand dripping red. His eyes locked on the Doctor and a cruel smile twisted his face.

"Goddamn butcher!" Klaus snarled. The alien creature was still in the Doctor's form, but this detail did not even slow the Major down as he pointed his already drawn weapon at him. "Get away from the boy before I put a bullet through your fucking heart!" he ordered as he stormed into the room.

The alien did not move. He shifted his gaze from the Doctor to the Major. "Another step closer and I kill him," he said coldly, causing the officer to stop short.

_He's still alive! How could anyone still be alive after…?_ The Major's eyes narrowed, his hand moving fractionally as he drew a bead on the alien's heart. "You kill him. I kill you."

The creature considered this and gave a small smile. "Then, you win." So saying, he promptly vanished.

"God fucking dammit!" the Major roared in frustration.

Jason mentally agreed with him as he went swiftly to Turlough's side, only to be repulsed further on his arrival. It was all he could do not to be sick on the spot, a hand going to his mouth in horror. "My God…"

The Healer got down beside his friend, uncertain where to start. The boy's piercing blue eyes were staring blankly into space, but when Jason touched him to turn his head there was a slight flicker of movement. _Bloody hell, he's still conscious!_ Jason felt his stomach lurch again and fought to stay in control. Turlough's life depended on it. He quickly scanned his friend, discovering he had been completely paralyzed. If he survived, it would fade away. If he survived.

"Hang on, Turlough, the cavalry's arrived," Jason said gently.

The boy's clothing was completely shredded, exposing his flesh to his attacker's blade. The alien had hacked and sliced Turlough's arms, legs and throat, yet, whether by miracle or by design, had missed opening his arteries and larger veins. Some of the cuts were scarcely a scratch, while others were deep gashes. These were nothing compared to the worse of his injuries. Turlough's chest and abdomen had been laid opened with surgical precision. _How can he still be alive?_ the Healer thought. He could see and identify the boy's internal organs. Could see his lungs moving as he breathed. His heart pumping inside his rib cage.

_Dear God, what does this thing think it is? Jack the Ripper?_

"I can't work on him here," Jason announced, closing the gaping wound as best he could. "There's too much damage. I need to get him to the TARDIS before he bleeds to death." Then he wondered if the alien had kept the boy alive in the same way it had kept Dorian under its power. If so, he needed to move quickly before the effect wore off.

Jason looked up, seeing a look that was a combination of anger, horror, and guilt on the Doctor's face. This was slowly being overshadowed by rage. He did not take kindly to having one of his companions attacked.

"Doctor, TARDIS!" Jason snapped, bringing the Time Lord out of his daze.

"Jason, don't let him die," was all the Doctor said in reply.

For once, Jason could not bring himself to make his usual promise. He did not know why Turlough was still alive to begin with. By rights, he should have died of shock and blood loss. Jason turned to the Major, who was standing beside the Doctor. "Major, have the patrols been started in this section of the building?"

"Yes," the Major replied. "Two men each. Why?"

"I'm going to have to revert to carry him and I'd rather not be mistaken for that thing."

"Jason can do many things," the Doctor said knowingly, "but deflecting bullets isn't one of them. He'll need protection through the halls."

"He'll have it," came the succinct reply. The Major was suddenly Iron Klaus, his face hardening. He drew his Magnum again, turned on his heel, and strode to the door, stopping on the threshold to wait for Jason to follow.

Jason observed the officer's transformation with a shutter and found himself glad that they were on the same side. He returned to his true form, his tendrils entwining his friend with extreme care before slowly and gently lifting him from the floor. Turlough gave a low moan as this was done, causing the worried look on the Doctor's face to deepen into unbridled rage.

This wasn't a simple hunt for an alien any longer.

Now, it was personal.

* * *

"Don't let him die…"

The Doctor's words echoed through Turlough's mind as Jason carried him through the halls of Lubyanka. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't fight. The creature had seen to that. He could imagine what he looked like, although the very thought made him sick. Mercifully, he was beyond pain, almost beyond comprehension.

The taunts had been unending. _Just cut out my heart and get it over with!_ But no, it had to inflict one more cut, one more stabbing pain, one more opening in his flesh to allow his blood to spill out and drain his strength that much more.

Then it happened. The alien, the creature, his tormentor…was gone. Finally, someone had found him. Finally, voices he knew; Jason, the Major, the Doctor.

_See, the Doctor did come! But too late. You're too late, Doctor. It's killed me._

Jason was beside him, working like a man possessed, telling him to hang on.

_It's too late. I'm already dead._

"I can't work on him here…"

_It's too late._

"I need to get him to the TARDIS…"

_Too late…_

"Jason, don't let him die."

Turlough felt his heart miss a beat.

_Don't let me die._


	23. Don't Let Me Die

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

**DON'T LET ME DIE**

Jason did not even pause when he entered the TARDIS. He shot through the console room and was practically through the inner door by the time Eroica registered his presence. The Earl scarcely had time to notice the bloodied form entwined in his tendrils before he was gone. The Doctor and the Major entered moments later. From the dejected looks on their faces, it was obvious that the alien had eluded them again, leaving Turlough as the latest casualty.

After a moment, Eroica turned to follow Jason. He was uncertain as to whether he would remember the way to the sickbay. Then he realized he did not need to. All he had to do was follow the trail of blood. Another thought flashed through his mind and he paused just inside the inner door, throwing a quick look back into the console room. No, if Turlough were dead, Jason wouldn't have been moving so quickly.

Neither the Doctor nor the Major took any notice of the Earl's departure, both being too intent on berating themselves for what had happened to Turlough.

The Doctor pulled the door lever, took a few steps toward the inner door, and stopped, giving a chair Eroica had just vacated a savage kick and sending it skittering across the room. He picked up the chair's mate and threw it as hard as he could in the opposite direction, a roar of anger escaping him.

Suddenly the Major was holding him by the arms, preventing him from doing any further damage to the console room. "Doctor, this will not help the boy," he said firmly.

The Doctor pulled out of the officer's grasp, his eyes blazing with a murderous rage. "You're a fine one to talk, Major," he spat back. "This is my fault! Turlough could die, and it's my fault!"

"Nein. The boy—" the Major broke off, correcting himself. "_Turlough_—was my responsibility. I should never have allowed us to get separated."

"I appreciate what you're saying," the Doctor replied in a slightly calmer tone, "but my companions are my responsibility. I brought him here, got him mixed up in this…_mess._ Will I never learn? I've already lost one companion." He turned his gaze toward the inner door. "Now I may lose another. And for what? It's so…senseless!"

The Major gave the Doctor an astonished look. He had once accused the Doctor of having a total lack of responsibility, of leaving after the fight with an alien invader was over, of leaving others to clean up his mess, which often included several deaths. It had never occurred to him that one of those deaths might be someone traveling with the Doctor, despite the fact that he himself had saved Jason's life while he was the Doctor's traveling companion. Yet, the Doctor himself always seemed to come away unscathed, unaffected by it all. Unaffected, that is, until now.

"Then do something about it!" Klaus snapped angrily. "This is a time machine!"

"If you're about to ask me to go back and stop this from happening, _don't,_" the Doctor said firmly. "There are rules even _**I**_ cannot break."

"Then what good is it?" Klaus thundered back. "What good is a time machine if you can't use it to save your friends?"

"Don't you think I would if I could?" the Doctor countered forcefully. "One of my companions _died_, Major! (14) And I could do nothing to prevent it." He thumped a fist on the console in frustration. "It would've been so easy to just turn back the clock. Snatch him away before—" He broke off, giving another chair a savage kick and sending it skittering across the room to join the first. He was shaking with anger and frustration. "There are greater consequences to consider than what I want!" _Why do humans always want to change things? Why do **I** always want to change things?_  
(14) Earthshock

The Major stood silently a moment before saying, "Then I am sorry for you."

The Doctor turned, his expression one of shock and outrage. It was almost laughable. A human feeling sorry for a Time Lord. "_You_ feel sorry for _me?_"

"Yes. I'm not the only one who wishes they could change the past. I thought you had this power, Doctor. Now you tell me that you don't. That you never did. That not even you, in this marvelous machine, can change _anything."_ The Major gave him a piercing look. "If I'm to believe what you say, then your so-called power over Time is an illusion."

The Doctor stood staring into space. An illusion. Was everything he did an illusion? A way of fooling himself into thinking it was all for some noble purpose, when in reality nothing in the bigger picture ever really changed? "Am I just fooling myself?" he said quietly before turning to meet the officer's challenging gaze. "I'm a fraud, Major. It's all been for nothing."

Klaus snorted, waving a hand in the air. "Now you sound like the Earl when he feels sorry for himself." He casually lit a cigarette, looking the Time Lord up and down. "It doesn't suit you, Doctor. You're not the kind of man who whines."

The Doctor's eyes flashed. "Major, I do believe you're actually being supportive."

"Don't be an idiot," the Major replied, a faint smile curling his lips as he blew smoke into the air. "I don't know how to be supportive. You said so yourself."

"Then I apologize. It seems I was wrong."

Klaus met the Time Lord's intense gaze. He had been partially successful in getting the Doctor's mind off Turlough. There was nothing either of them could do for him. Jason would either work another miracle, or he would not. If they didn't want this to happen again, the Doctor needed to concentrate his encyclopedic brain on finding a solution.

"If that's so, then what else might you've been wrong about?" the Major asked challengingly.

* * *

Eroica was in the observation room of the sickbay, watching Jason in an awed silence. The Alterran was in the surgery on the other side of the window, still in his true form. He had placed Turlough on the operating table beneath a glowing light the thief remembered from his own time as the Healer's patient. Jason had told him it was a sterile field that protected his patient from infection. Considering the massive wounds that covered Turlough's body, Eroica felt certain the boy needed all the help he could get.

Jason was moving fast. Incredibly fast, his tendrils seeming to flash in several directions at once. Eroica could not follow everything he was doing in his frenzy of activity. He was bewildered when the Alterran came to an abrupt halt for a few minutes before beginning the frenzy again.

Eroica noticed the speaker in the wall and realized it connected into the operating room. He turned it on just as Jason stopped again. When his quiet, gentle voice came through the speaker, Eroica felt ill as he came to the horrifying realization that Turlough was still fully conscious.

* * *

Jason was unaware of anything save getting to the sickbay. He practically flew down the corridors. The TARDIS seemed to recognize the urgency, aiding in his mad dash to save one of her crew, a new door appearing that led into the sickbay rather than another lengthy corridor. Jason whispered his gratitude as he made straight for the surgery.

As soon as Jason laid Turlough on the operating table, all the monitors connected to it came to life. A split second later, the Healer saw his patient's heart rate jump dramatically, his respiration joining it. The boy was obviously terrified.

"Turlough, don't be afraid. I know you're conscious," Jason said gently, his tendrils flashing in several directions as he prepared his friend for surgery. "And I know you can't answer me." He paused a moment, searching for any kind of a response. "I don't know how that thing is still affecting you, but the paralysis _will_ wear off."

Turlough seemed to calm down upon hearing this. His heart rate slowed slightly, as did his breathing. Encouraged, Jason told him what he was doing, and what he was preparing to do. "I can't risk a general anesthetic without knowing what that thing used on you." He squeezed his friend's hand. "But I don't want to hurt you, either. Can you move your eyes at all?"

Turlough's eyes continued to stare into space, his only response being a slight flicker of his eyelids. Obviously, the answer was no.

Jason tried not to sound disappointed. "Try to close them for me."

Turlough made a valiant attempt, managing to partially close his eyes.

"That's enough. How far can you open them?"

Again, Turlough's eyelids flickered.

"That's fine. I'm going to ask you yes or no questions as I work. Open your eyes as you just did for yes. Close them as best you can for no. Okay?" Jason smiled inwardly as his patient's eyelids flickered again. "Excellent. First question. Are you in any pain?"

_No._

"Are you afraid?"

_Yes. Yes. Yes._

"Not of me, I hope."

_No._

"Good. I move faster in my true form. I'm going to start closing your chest wound. You'll feel pressure as I work, but you shouldn't feel any pain." Jason paused a moment, giving Turlough a chance to take this in. "If I sense any changes, I'll stop. Okay?"

_Yes._

The Alterran began his work in earnest. The whole time he was talking, he had been preparing Turlough for the surgery, cleaning his limbs, putting temporary bindings on the gashes in his extremities, starting a transfusion of synthetic blood, and another, and another.

Jason was vaguely aware of Eroica's presence in the observation room but did not stop to dwell on it. He needed to concentrate on getting Turlough stabilized and then put back together. He doubted he would be able to completely finish the job of patching him up. Turlough was far too weak to remain in surgery the length of time this would require. If he survived, then Jason could go about repairing the scars the slashes would leave on his skin.

If he survived…

* * *

"Still at it?" the Doctor asked quietly as he entered the observation room.

Eroica turned as the door opened. "Yes. He's scarcely slowed down in three hours. I don't know how he's kept up the pace. I've never seen anything—_anyone_—move so fast."

The Doctor nodded, turning his gaze into the next room. The gaping wound in Turlough's chest had been closed, as had the worst of the gashes on his extremities. Jason was in the process of closing the slashes on his throat.

"Where's the Major?" Eroica asked in as casual a manner as he could manage.

"Doing a bit of research for me."

Eroica caught his breath. "Doctor, you haven't—"

"No. I haven't sent him off on his own," the Doctor replied calmly. "Nobody is going anywhere on their own anymore. He's using the communications system to contact Bonn. He's getting quite adept at using the console."

Eroica nodded absently.

"You'll excuse my saying so," the Time Lord began slowly as he sat down, "but this hardly seems the type of thing to hold your interest."

Eroica met the Doctor's inquiring gaze a moment and then turned back to the window. "Have you ever watched him, Doctor?" he asked calmly. "I mean, _really_ watched? I've never seen anything so graceful. The way he moves, all those…those…"

"Tendrils."

"Yes. They don't just fly if different directions, do they? I never thought about it before now, but he must've operated on me the same way."

"I would imagine so. Jason always prefers to work in his true form." The Time Lord's eyes narrow at that moment. Then he caught his breath as he came to the same horrifying conclusion about Turlough that the Earl had earlier.

"Yes, he's awake," Eroica confirmed with a shudder. "I don't think he's in any pain though."

"What makes you say that?" the Doctor wanted to know.

"Because every time he so much as twitches, Jason stops to talk to him."

The Doctor closed his eyes, his hands curling into fists. This was far worse than he could've imagined. The creature had to be stopped before it finally killed someone. He opened his eyes, taking in the mutilated form of his companion and prayed that it had not killed someone already.

* * *

Jason did not know how many hours he spent working on Turlough's injuries. He only became aware of time slipping away from him when the boy's paralysis started to fade.

After the gaping wound had been closed, Jason went on to concentrate on the deeper gashes in Turlough's arms and legs. Blood was pouring from his wounds almost as fast as Jason was pouring it back in. Then, at long last, a turning point. The blood loss slowed until, finally, it virtually stopped—after countless transfusions.

Then, an hour later, another turning point. A low moan rose in Turlough's throat and Jason froze. This was the first sound the boy had made since being lifted from the floor. Jason watched in amazement as his friend very slowly closed his eyes. Fully closed his eyes. He seemed to struggle to keep them closed. Or was he just shocked that he could do it? Jason wondered.

"Turlough?" Jason ventured. "Am I hurting you?"

"No."

When the boy actually spoke, the Alterran visibly started, his body rippling with color. Turlough's voice was thick and heavy, but he had spoken nonetheless. "I know you want to, but you mustn't talk," the Healer said quickly. "Just lie still. I'm almost done."

Turlough opened his eyes, giving the Alterran a steady look before closing them again. He was grateful he was not in any pain and wondered just how long the blissful numbness would last. Then he realized how incredibly tired he was, most certainly past the point of exhaustion. But he was afraid to sleep. What if he didn't wake up again?

At that moment, Jason returned to his human form to allow his friend to read his expression. He squeezed one of Turlough's hands, a small smile coming to his face as the fingers moved slightly in an attempt to squeeze back. "Turlough, I won't leave you, I promise," he said gently. "I won't—"

"Don't let me die."

Turlough surprised even himself when this plaintive request passed his lips, despite the fact that it had been the one thought in his mind since being lifted from the floor. The one thought he had wanted to scream at the top of his voice. _Don't let me die! Please, Jason, don't let me die!_

After a long pause, Jason said calmly, "I won't if you promise me one thing."

"What's that?"

"Don't die."

Turlough's bright eyes opened wide and then a smile slowly curled at the edges of his mouth. He closed his eyes and tried to relax as the Alterran returned to his true form and started to work on his injuries again.

_Don't die. Was it really as simple as that? Just…don't die._

Within a few minutes, and without realizing, Turlough finally drifted into sleep.

* * *

Eroica was alternately watching the operation in the next room and the Doctor beside him. The Time Lord's grave expression had not changed, although relief seemed to pass over his features when Turlough spoke for the first time.

Then the operation seemed to be over and Jason was bathing Turlough's extremities, gently cleaning the blood from his body. Eroica watched in further fascination as the Alterran carefully washed the blood from the boy's hair, making certain that he was completely clean before binding his wounds with clean dressings. Then he moved him from the operating table, covering him with a blanket.

The Doctor seemed to take this as his cue and got to his feet. "Excuse me, Dorian. I need to see if he needs anything special in the recovery room." He did not wait for a reply, vanishing through the door.


	24. Back To Square One

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

**BACK TO SQUARE ONE**

The Doctor returned to the console room to find the Major glaring down at the control console, his arms folded, the cloud of smoke over his head looking like a gathering storm. To say the man did not look happy would have been an understatement. In fact, he looked on the verge of pulling his Magnum and firing it into the communications panel.

"From your expression," the Doctor began mildly, "I can only assume you were unsuccessful."

Klaus looked up, his eyes blazing. "Classified!" he snapped angrily. "Eyes only. Need to know. _Need to know?_ What the bloody hell do they think I'm asking for?" This time it was his turn to kick a chair across the room, causing the Doctor to wonder if it might not be wise to remove all the furniture for the time being.

The Doctor gave the frustrated officer a steady look, came to a decision, and nodded. "Right," he said as he stepped up to the computer. "I'm not really supposed to do this, but I think the situation calls for it."

Klaus had no idea what the Time Lord was talking about and said so.

The Doctor looked up. "I'm going to see what the TARDIS data bank has to say on the matter," he stated flatly. "And if that yields nothing, I'm going to the library."

"Library?" The Major's eyes flashed to the exterior doors. Surely, he wasn't talking about out there?

The Doctor could not help but smile. "The _TARDIS_ library, Major. It's…rather large."

"Everything in this ship is large. I've been in your _smaller_ wardrobe, remember?"

The Time Lord nodded absently, his fingers clattering on the keyboard.

"What…" Klaus began hesitantly, "is Turlough's status?"

The Doctor looked up, and wanted to kick _himself_ for having forgotten the reason he had come to the console room in the first place. "Out of surgery," he said calmly. "Jason isn't giving any promises, which is worrying, to be honest. He'll let us know."

Klaus nodded but did not reply. _There's nothing you can do for the boy,_ he reminded himself. _Keep focused on the mission. On finding the creature responsible for this whole mess._ He looked over at the Doctor who was scowling down at the computer screen, apparently having the same lack of success as he had with Bonn. He had no doubts that if anyone could find this thing, it was the Doctor. And when they did find it, Klaus promised himself, he would take the greatest satisfaction in blowing its brains out.

* * *

Eroica heard the Doctor leave the sickbay and waited several minutes before going to the recovery room. Turlough was beneath a sterile field on a bed that had a bank of monitors on the wall beside it. Jason was leaning forward in a chair, his head in his hands. He was clearly exhausted.

Jason suddenly started and looked up, seeing the Earl at the door. _Damn. I dozed off without realizing._ "How long have you been standing there," he asked quietly.

"Just a few seconds, actually," Eroica said as he crossed the room. "You look completely knackered."

Jason gave a weak smile and nodded. "I haven't been in an operating room in several decades," he said with a sigh. "And even longer than that to be in one on my own."

Eroica's bright eyes widened. It was still difficult to fathom the gulf of years that had passed since he last saw the Alterran. It was still only four years as far as he was concerned. Not the century and a half it had been for Jason.

"I don't even know how long I was in there," Jason went on to say.

"More than five hours."

The Healer nodded. That would be about right, considering how tapped out he felt.

"You should get some rest before you collapse," Eroica said finally.

Jason looked up in some surprise. "Are you volunteering to act as Turlough's nursemaid?"

"I'm not entirely useless, you know."

"You'll forgive me, Dorian, but you're not exactly the unselfish type."

Eroica gave a small smile. "I…don't really have anything else to do."

"You're bored?"

"Yes." Eroica started to play with one of his curls. "Everyone else is doing something to try and catch the thing that—" He broke off and shuddered, hugging himself. "I can at least sit with Turlough while you get some sleep."

Jason gave him a sideways glance. "And what are you going to be doing in the meantime?"

"I'm sure I'll find something."

"What did you bring with you?"

"Jason…"

Suddenly Jason was on his feet with his hand out. "Give it to me," he ordered.

"What?"

"The pocket dimension. Give it to me."

"Why?"

"Dorian…"

"Alright, alright." Eroica handed over the little pouch. Jason pulled it open and looked inside, his eyes widening. He reached in, pulling out a very large, ornately decorated, and obviously valuable book.

"What in the world…?"

"It's a book on Renaissance fashions, if you must know."

Jason looked up accusingly. "You pinched that out of the wardrobe!"

"I was gonna put it back."

"You liar!"

Before the argument could go any further, Turlough shifted position and moaned before saying, "Could you two fight somewhere else?"

Jason turned sharply, thrusting the book and the pocket dimension back at Dorian before going to the boy's bedside. "I didn't expect you to wake up for a couple hours yet," he said happily.

Turlough gave him an unfocused look. "I'd be more than happy to go back to sleep if you two will argue someplace else," he said weakly.

"Okay, we'll do that," Jason grinned. "You go back to sleep."

"Gladly."

Within a few minutes, Turlough was fast asleep. Jason watched him another minute, checked the monitors, and then turned to the Earl. "Dorian, I think we've turned the corner."

* * *

"Nothing!" the Doctor growled. "Damn and blast!" He gave the control console a thump in frustration.

The Major drew a long drag on his cigarette. It wasn't a good sign when the Doctor got frustrated. The man, well, this version of the man, seemed to have the patience of a saint. "Nothing on this parasite you mentioned?"

The Doctor looked up. "Oh, there's plenty on the one I mentioned, but that one fed on a completely different emotion."

"How did you fight it?" Klaus wanted to know.

"What?"

"You said you encounter this…parasite. And defeated it, yes?"

"Yes."

"How?"

The Doctor blinked and then frowned. Yes, how did he defeat the thing? It had been a very long time ago; during his third incarnation.(12) _Of course!_ "I didn't so much defeat is as control it," he said at last. "It fed on evil, so we controlled it with good."  
(12) The Mind Of Evil

Klaus gave a derisive snort. "Doctor, sometimes you talk absolute rubbish."

"That's the simplest way of putting it, Major," the Time Lord replied defensively. "I don't think you want me to go into chapter and verse of what happened, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"Then suffice it to say, we fought evil with good." The Doctor paused. "Then a friend of mine, another military man, blew it up."

Klaus drew a deep breath and told himself not to lose his temper. "Alright. So how do we fight fear? And if you start quoting Franklin Roosevelt, I _will_ hurt you."

The Doctor could not help but grin at this. The quote the Major alluded to flashing through his mind. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." _Yes, how does one fight fear? Fighting fear with fear certainly won't work in this instance._ It was an excellent question to which he had no definitive answer.

"You know, Major," the Doctor said thoughtfully, "when you confronted it, it seemed…baffled."

"As am I. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Didn't you notice? You threatened it, it threatened back. Obviously, it was attempting to make you afraid for Turlough. But instead…" The Doctor's voice trailed off as the scene played out in his head once again. Then Dorian's story returned to made, and Jason's forthright intervention.

Klaus felt himself ready to explode when he saw the Doctor's eyes light up. He could almost see the light bulb going on above his head. "You've thought of something," he observed.

The Doctor threw him a sideways glance. "It's only a theory…"

"That's all we seem to have right now."

The Doctor drew a deep breath. "You and Jason reacted to that thing with aggression rather than fear and it fled both times." He paused. "I think the way to fight fear is with defiance, Major."

Klaus thought this over. "I'm sure that will come in useful," he said blandly. "But first, we need to find it."

* * *

After a few hours of well earned rest, Jason went to the console room to find the Doctor sitting in a chair staring down at the papers that were once again spread out on the floor. The Alterran was surprised to see the Major was conspicuous by his absence.

"I sent him to get some sleep," the Doctor informed.

"I'd tell you to get some, too," Jason replied, "but I already know what the answer will be."

The Doctor's eyes flickered but he did not reply directly. "Apparently the KGB's Deputy Director of some department-or-other wants some kind of a progress report by tomorrow afternoon."

"Oh, swell."

"Yes. The Major has volunteered to give it."

Jason's eyebrows went up. "The Major?" He threw a quick glance back at the inner doors. "Our Major? Mister Not-Even-Close-To-Diplomatic von dem Eberbach? That Major?"

"I must confess to being surprised myself. Although I suspect he just wants to shout at someone. And since we know that there's no love lost between himself and the KGB…"

An evil grin came to the Alterran's face. "Oh, I would _love_ to be a fly on the wall in that meeting."

The Doctor gave him a sideways glance. "Coming from you, that's not all that out of the question, is it?"

Jason could not help but laugh. "True. But I rather think I'm needed here just now." He saw a pained look come to the Time Lord's face. "I came to tell you that Turlough's out of danger." The words were barely out of his mouth when he saw relief wash visibly over the Doctor's entire body.

"Thank you, Jason. That means a great deal."

"I know. I _was_ one of your traveling companions once," the Alterran replied knowingly. "I know how you get whenever somebody gets hurt."

The Doctor gave his friend a pained look. "Jason, I lost one of my companions not too long ago," he informed soberly. "It isn't something I'd care to repeat."

Jason stood with his mouth open, uncertain how to reply to this. He looked down at the papers and up again. "Care to let me in on what this is all about?"

* * *

The Doctor had gone over what little information they had with the Major before the escort arrived to take him to his meeting. The Time Lord had been uncertain as to whether he should accompany him and finally chose not to interfere. This was, after all, the Major's area of expertise. The fact that he would be traveling with an escort was also a deciding factor. It seemed highly unlikely that the creature would make any moves against him. Of course, it seemed highly unlikely it would make any moves against him even without the escort. The Major was hardly the type to succumb to terror.

The Major's escort arrived earlier than planned, much to the officer's delight. He was looking forward to the dressing down he was going to give the Deputy Director where Ivanov and Borodin were concerned. He did not take kindly to KGB agents trying to kill him.

* * *

"I'm gonna be late," the Major said impatiently to his escort. Neither man so much as glanced back at him. He gave an annoyed growl and found himself wishing for the hundredth time that he knew the location of the Deputy Director's office. Then he would have been able to make the journey alone and very probably in less time.

The Major's escort stopped abruptly in front of a non-descript door. The senior officer gave a respectful rap and stepped back.

Klaus was wondering why they were still on the same floor, and why there were no markings on the door when it opened. To his shock, he found himself standing face to face with Alexei Borodin.


	25. A Major Run In

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR**

**A MAJOR RUN IN**

"So, you've finally turned up again," the Major said blandly. "Like a bad penny. What will your superiors say?" He became aware of his "escorts" moving to take up position behind him, cutting off any chance of his making a run for it. He acknowledged this with nothing more than a flicker of his eyelids before returning his attention squarely to the man before him.

"There are some in the Party who believe this…openness is an error in our leaders' judgment," Borodin replied coldly. "To allow Iron Klaus to simply walk out of KGB Headquarters…"

"I seem to remember hearing this before," Klaus said in a bored tone. His reply was a savage slap across the face.

"Insolent dog!" Borodin snarled.

The Major touched a hand to his mouth. It came away with blood on it. "That's the second time you've struck me."

"The only way to bring a dog to heel is discipline. And I _will_ bring you to heel, Major Eberbach."

"You can't even get my name right, what makes you think you'll succeed in that?" came the defiant reply.

"I have what I believe is called 'home field advantage,'" Borodin said with a smile. He stepped away from the door and nodded inside. "Take him."

The men on either side of the Major took him by the arms and dragged him through the door, Borodin following behind.

The Major took in the room with a bit of a jolt. It was nearly identical to the way he had pictured a KGB interrogation room to be, all the way down to the gray stone walls. _How is this possible?_

"Impressive, isn't it?" Borodin remarked.

The Major did not reply, choosing instead to take in every detail of the room. The more he did, the more unsettled he became. Suddenly his captor was ordering him searched for weapons. It was obvious he wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.

"Just look for weapons, you bloody perverts," the Major snapped as his coat was stripped off. He was relieved of his gun and shoulder holster. Then he was dragged across the room and lashed to what looked like a large X the center of the room. He couldn't decide if it were plastic or metal, the rubberized surface covering it obscuring the material. He might have a chance of breaking plastic, but metal was a different story.

Within minutes, the Major was securely strapped into place and stood glaring at his captor, refusing to speak. How many years had the KGB been trying to get him here? How many failed attempts at capture? Only to have his idiot superiors hand me over on a silver platter. He knew this would happen, but would anyone listen? Assurance of safety my ass. Fat lot of good that did him now.

The Major's train of thought was broken when Borodin dismissed the guards. Klaus glanced over at the large mirror on one wall. It was obviously one-way glass and he wondered who might be behind it. Surely, there would be an audience for the interrogation of Iron Klaus.

Borodin gave a wry smile and crossed to the mirror. He then surprised his prisoner by dropping a shade over it. "No spectators today," he said calmly. "It's just you and I."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Because too many minds clutter a room with noise."

Klaus was completely thrown by this unintelligible reply. "What?"

"You're willing to die rather than give up the secrets in your head. I find that…intriguing."

Klaus found himself wondering if this man were quite right in the head. "What do you expect?"

"I expect fear," Borodin said calmly.

_Like that creature!_

_"Like,_ Major?" Borodin said in reply to the officer's thoughts. He gave a small smile at the astonished look this produced. "Oh, yes. Did I forget to mention I can read your thoughts? Terribly sorry. Must've slipped my mind."

An evil smile came to the Major's face as several choice words to describe his captor and his tactics came to mind. He was rewarded with another slap across the face.

"Bastard!" Borodin snarled. "Why aren't you afraid?"

"Fear clouds the judgment," came the matter of fact reply. "And that's the third time you've struck me."

Borodin took the Major by the throat. "Defiance! Always with defiance!"

Klaus was puzzled by the look on his captor's face. It was as though he were the one in danger. Then the Doctor's words returned to mind. The alien didn't seem to know how to handle aggression, fleeing from it each time it was confronted.

"The Doctor is too clever."

"You _are_ that creature, aren't you?"

"Does that frighten you?" came the taunting reply.

The Major merely snorted. "You expect me to be afraid because you're an alien? You're not the first one I've ever encountered." The hand at his throat tightened and he forced himself to stay calm. "I'm a professional. You won't find me as easy to frighten as a load of peasants, a pathetic dreamer, or a mere boy."

"Damn you!" The creature released its grip and stepped back, seeming at a loss as to how it should proceed.

"What are you called?" the Major asked evenly.

"What do you care!"

"Gathering information is my job. Did you decide to take Borodin's appearance after he fled?"

"I didn't flee!"

The Major's eyebrows went up. "So, you were Borodin all along. How very interesting. The Doctor believes you were trapped here."

"Shut up!"

The Major's eye flickered. _Good. He's getting rattled._ "Shut up? I thought I was being interrogated."

"I'm going to break you, human."

"So you say," the Major replied blandly. "Well, get on with it then."

The alien gave another growl. It shimmered for a moment, changing into Eroica's likeness. "How about I do it looking like this?" it asked tauntingly, taking full advantage of the Earl's honeyed tones.

Klaus felt his heart jump and had to force himself to remain calm. "That's your choice."

"But it frightens you, doesn't it? Just a little?"

The Major snorted. "You put on the Earl's appearance like some fucking Halloween costume and then try to frighten me with it. I know it's just you in there, whatever you are." The creature's response was to slap him across the face again before tearing his shirt open. Klaus stiffened visibly but remained silent, knowing perfectly well what his captor was attempting as his undershirt was slowly sliced up the center.

"Ah, so you do fear. Just a little, but I sense it," the creature purred on in Dorian's silky tones.

"Don't mistake surprise with fear. They both create an adrenaline response."

The alien hit a switch, tilting the contraption his prisoner was secured to back until he was almost lying flat. "No one is completely fearless, Major. Not even you."

"So, you intend to torture me." The Major sighed heavily, putting on his best bored expression. "Not very original, are you?" He stiffened visibly when his captor moved to stand between his spread legs. Then he reached up to play his hands over his exposed chest.

"I can be very gentle, Major," the alien cooed seductively, giving him the look that always caused him into a panic.

Klaus had to concentrate to stay calm. He could not allow this creature to send him into a mindless panic. "Like you were with Lord Gloria?" he countered forcefully.

The alien gave him a steady look and then laughed. "He didn't tell you what happened, did he?"

"He didn't have to. I saw the bruises. You tied him up and beat the shit out of him."

"Is that what he told you?" The creature let out a laugh that sent a chill down the Major's spine. It did not sound like the Earl at all, despite the fact that he was still in Dorian's form. This was a gravelly and very alien sound. "Oh, Major, are _you_ in for a shock. Allow me to show you _exactly_ what happened."

Klaus scowled, uncertain what the creature was raving about. Then his eyes grew wide as the attack on Eroica played out before him. He tried to turn away, to close his eyes, to block out the images, but they continued in horrific detail.

"Oh, you can't turn away, Major," the alien taunted.

When the images finally vanished from his mind, Klaus turned an angry glare in the alien's direction. "What the hell was the purpose of showing me that…that…obscene display? Do you expect me to believe that Lord Gloria would refuse _anyone?_"

"You think that was a false image?"

"Have you stopped reading my thoughts?"

The bogus Dorian gave a small laugh before he started running his hands over the officer's exposed chest again. "I just thought you might like to know what to expect," he purred.

"Like hell!" the Major snarled and started to struggle against his bindings for all he was worth. "If you do that to me, you bloody well better kill me when you're through!"

The alien's hands were already at the officer's belt and he stopped, looking up. "Why?"

"Because if you don't, as soon as I'm free, I'll fucking _kill_ you with my bare hands!"

The alien stiffened visibly. There was no questioning that the Major meant exactly what he said. Nor was there any doubt that he was fully capable of carrying out his threat. Why wasn't this working? All the things that had worked to elicit fear in other humans were just causing this one to become more aggressive.

The creature had no way of knowing that Klaus was drawing on every ounce of his training. Fighting back his fear with aggression. _Fear clouds the judgment, ignore it. Fear causes mistakes, ignore it. Fear is for later. For when you're alone and can reflect on how close you came to losing your life yet again._

The alien sighed heavily, returning to its Borodin guise. "Well, then, Major," he said in resignation, "it looks as though we shall have to just get on with the interrogation."

Before the Major could comment on this, a plastic rod was being jammed between his teeth and secured into place. He struggled to fight it off, hoping he might at least be able to sink his teeth into his captor's hand.

"And don't worry about answering. I can still read your thoughts," the alien said as he pulled a cart closer to his prisoner. "Not that I really expect you to tell me anything relevant." He held up two small paddles attached to metal rods and smiled. "You know that these are, I assume?"

Of course, Klaus knew exactly what they were. These thoughts were verified and then blanked out when the paddles were held to his exposed chest, electricity arcing through his body. He went rigid, a scream of pain torn from his throat.

"If you want to die for some noble cause," the creature taunted, "perhaps I'll give you the opportunity."

* * *

The sudden hammering on the exterior doors of the TARDIS almost caused Jason to jump out of his skin. He had arrived in the console room only moments before and was in the process of giving the Doctor a progress report on Turlough.

The Doctor activated the scanner and scowled at the sight of two more soldiers. "Now what?" He threw Jason a sideways glance to see him shake his head.

"Maybe I _will_ have to be a fly on the wall," the Alterran muttered.

The Doctor gave a groan, pulling the door lever. "I hope this doesn't mean the Major's caused an international incident," he said as he exited. A minute later, he returned, a grave expression on his face.

"Oh, no…" Jason moaned. "He hasn't…"

"No. The Major never turned up at the Deputy Director's office," the Doctor replied soberly.

"What?" Jason gasped. He looked at his watch and then back up at the Doctor. "But…he should've been there more than an hour ago."

"I know."

The Time Lord gave the Alterran a steady look. Jason did not reply. He simply nodded, turned, and left the console room. A few minutes later, he returned with his medical bag and silently followed the Doctor out the doors.

* * *

"Doctor, this is getting to be a bad habit that I want to break," Jason said as they walked through the empty corridors. "First Dorian goes missing, then Turlough, now the Major, of all people."

"Yes," the Doctor agreed. "This thing does seem to be singling us out, doesn't it? If it is the alien, that is."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better, y'know?"

"Jason, I think of all of us, you are the least likely to be overpowered by this thing."

Jason gave his friend a steady look. "That does not bode well for you, then, Doctor."

The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. "That's a very nasty thought."

"You're the one who thought of it."

"Not directly."

"Oh, sure, blame me."

Before the Doctor could think of a suitable reply, the device in his hand gave a loud beep. "That's it," he said happily. "Jason, if I didn't say so before, I'd like to thank you for giving the Major a key to the TARDIS."

Jason gave a snort. _"Now_ he's happy."

The meter in the Doctor's hand suddenly started squawking loudly and he stopped, looking at the door before him. "Here, it seems," he said as he shut the device off and pocketed it. He glanced back at the soldiers he had, well…_ordered_ to accompany them in the search. "You might want to get your weapons ready," he said quietly.

Jason held up a hand for silence and closed his eyes, tuning in his hearing for any unusual sounds. Nothing. "I don't hear anything," he said quietly. "I don't like it."

"Then step aside and let these gentlemen go first," the Doctor instructed.

Jason threw the guards a sideways glance and nodded, obediently stepping out of the way.

"We'll need the key, sir," the senior soldier said apologetically. "That door's made of reinforced steel. We won't be able to break it down."

Jason sighed heavily and returned to his position in front of the door. "What's in there that it needs a reinforced door?" He looked back at the guards who were clearly uncomfortable. _"Well…?"_

"It's an interrogation room, sir. Sound proof."

"I'm sorry I asked." Jason turned back to the door. "Just get ready to follow me in." So saying, he gave it a mighty kick, practically knocked the door off its hinges.

The alien within jumped when the door suddenly crashed open. He had a very large knife in his hand that he had used to slice up his prisoner's clothes and then gone on to use to make small cuts in his exposed flesh. His eyes locked with those of the shocked Alterran for a brief instant before a puzzled expression flashed across his face.

Jason took in the sight of the bruised and bloodied form spread-eagled on a cross that was now almost vertical. He did not have to see the man's face to know it was the missing Major von dem Eberbach. "God dammit!" he thundered, his medical bag dropping from his hand as he stormed into the room. He snatched up the Major's Mangum that was on the table beside the door and aimed it at the alien.

"Jason, no!" the Doctor cried. "You'll hit the Major."

Klaus helplessly took in the situation. He still had the plastic bit jammed between his teeth and clamped down on it in frustration. _Shoot him! Never mind me, just shoot this bastard._

Jason caught his breath and was sure he was imagining things as the Major's words rang through his mind as clearly as though he had shouted them at the top of his voice.

The alien turned back to the Major, a smug expression on his face. "He won't chance hitting _you,_ Major," he said in a low growl. He took a fistful of his prisoner's hair and jerked his head back, exposing his throat to the blade that was still in his hand. Then he looked over at the glowering Alterran.

"Back off or Iron Klaus dies."


	26. History In The Making

**CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE**

**HISTORY IN THE MAKING**

Jason did not even pause. "I don't think so, Comrade. _You_ back off." He slowly moved into the room, staying near the wall, his expert eyes sweeping over the Major's injuries at the same time. To say the man was a mess would have been generous. His clothing was in shreds, his body was covered with bruises and small cuts, and his bare chest had what looked like electrical burns all over it. His face was battered and bloodied, his hair soaked with sweat. Jason suspected that the officer very likely had some broken bones, although this fact was not clearly evident. What was clearly evident was the fact that he had not given up. The instant the blade was held to his throat, Klaus went rigid, his hands balling into fists.

_Keep fighting, Major,_ Jason silently encouraged. _We'll get you out of this somehow._

"Me back off?" the alien laughed. "Not a chance." He gave the Alterran a smug look, content in the knowledge that no one knew his true identity—and his prisoner was in no position to be telling anyone. Notwithstanding the gag in his mouth, the Major's vocal cords had been paralyzed, making it impossible for him to make a sound.

"You think I won't shoot?" Jason said mildly.

"You won't risk hitting Major Eberbach."

"That's true," Jason agreed. Then a small smile came to his face as he stopped moving. "But from here, I have a clear shot."

The shocked alien stiffened visibly, suddenly realizing its error.

"Now, _Comrade,_" Jason said in a firm voice. "Either you back away from the Major—very, very slowly—or I shoot you. It's your choice."

Klaus found himself wanting to laugh at the horrified expression on his captor's face. _Now who's afraid?_

The alien looked him in the eye, a low growl rising in his throat. Then he heard Jason cock the weapon and looked up. There was more than a look of defiance in the Alterran's eyes. He would very happily fire.

"You'd kill me?" Borodin asked innocently. "Just like that?"

A wry smile came to Jason's face. "Who said anything about killing you? I said I'd shoot you. The knee is always good." He moved the gun slightly to point at the alien's legs. "Of course, that's assuming I aim low enough. I understand a weapon of this caliber has quite a kick. I've never fired one before. I might miss and hit something…higher." He paused a beat, adding, "It won't kill you. But you'll very probably wish you were dead."

The man everyone thought to be Borodin blanched visibly. He slowly moved the knife away from the Major's throat and then let it fall to the floor. He held up his hands, backing away equally slowly. The next thing he knew, the guards were taking him by the arms and pulling him across the room.

Jason followed his progress with his eyes and jumped when the Doctor was suddenly beside him, taking his arm in an iron grip.

"Jason, you need to calm down," the Time Lord said gently. "See to the Major."

Jason closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "Doctor, I'm alright."

"No, you're not. You're angry."

"Angry? I'm bloody furious!" Jason corrected.

The Doctor did not even bat an eye. "Give me the gun."

"Only if you'll give me my arm back."

The Doctor gave a wry smile before releasing his grip. He held out the Healer's medical bag, which he happily exchanged for the gun.

Jason drew a deep breath as he turned to the injured officer. He could hear the Major's labored breathing before he even approached him. Not a good sign. The exhausted officer's head was back, his eyes closed. As soon as the Jason touched him, he started and went rigid, his eyes snapping open.

"It's only me," the Healer said quietly. "Try to relax."

The Major's eyes flickered in reply, his body relaxing slightly. When Jason touched him to examine his wounds, he clamped down on the rod between his teeth in obvious pain, his body going rigid once more.

"Sorry," Jason said quickly. "I'll try not to hurt you. But you're in pretty bad shape."

Already fully aware of his injuries, Klaus glared at him. _Don't tell me what I already know, you idiot. Just get me down from here._

Jason caught his breath when the officer's thoughts rang through his mind again. "My God, I thought I was…" He turned sharply to the Doctor, who shook his head and looked pointedly over at the captive Borodin. Obviously, the Time Lord had heard the Major's thoughts and had also deduced that Borodin was the alien.

Jason nodded his understanding before calling for one of the guards to assist him in getting the gravely injured officer down. He supported the Major's weight while the other man unfastened the restraints.

"Just relax and let me do the work," Jason said gently as the straps were removed.

Klaus had several thoughts on this, all of which were blanked out by pain as his arm suddenly dropped over the waiting Alterran's shoulder. A moment later, he blacked out completely.

There was a stack of sheets on the table near the door and Jason asked the Doctor to spread one out on the floor. He was not about to place the injured officer onto the filthy stone surface. Once the cloth was in place, Jason gently lowered the unconscious Major onto it. He made another quick visual check of his injuries before pulling open his medical bag.

The Doctor retrieved the remaining sheets and was handing them to Jason when an appalled voice suddenly exclaimed from the open doorway, "This is an outrage!"

The Doctor turned to see the Deputy Director standing in the doorway. The very man the Major had been on his way to see when he disappeared. _How on earth did he find his way here?_ "I don't believe anyone here will disagree with you," the Time Lord replied mildly.

"Are _you_ responsible for this?" the Deputy Director demanded, turning pointedly to Borodin.

"Just following standing orders pertaining to Iron Klaus, Comrade Deputy Director," came the smug reply.

Jason looked up at the man standing in the doorway and then over to the alien. "_What_ standing orders?" he demanded angrily. "To torture him half to death!" He did not wait for a reply, turning his attention back to his patient.

"We must call for a medical team," the Deputy Director said, suddenly seeming to realize the urgency of the matter.

"No need," the Doctor replied. "Prince Jason is a surgeon. Major von dem Eberbach couldn't be in better hands."

The Major returned to his senses at this moment. The first thing he was aware of was he was no longer suspended from the frame. The second was the plastic rod had been removed from his mouth. The third was that he was practically naked, his shredded clothing having been removed by the Healer. He slowly opened his eyes, seeing Jason in the process of tearing a sheet into strips, which he used to wrap the gashes on the officer's legs to keep him from bleeding to death.

Klaus was still unaware of the fact that his thoughts could be heard by the Doctor and Jason. Nor did he know if they realized he was unable to utter a sound. Then he became aware of the Deputy Director arguing with the Doctor.

"Be assured, Doctor, whatever Comrade Borodin may claim, _no_ authorization was given for this…outrage."

"Don't give me that! Everyone knows the KGB has been trying to get Iron Klaus in an interrogation room for years!" the Doctor snapped.

"Are you threatening me, Doctor?" the Deputy Director replied. "Let me remind you, you and your friends are _guests_ of the Kremlin."

"As is Major von dem Eberbach," the Doctor retorted sharply. "A personal guest of your General Secretary, much good _that_ did him. No doubt NATO will be demanding a full explanation—"

_**"Nein!"**_

The Major's telepathic cry of alarm rang through the Doctor's mind so strongly that he actually jumped. He stopped his tirade and turn sharply to look at the officer, whose desperate thoughts continued to sound in his mind.

_"That's what it wants! To stop the thaw in the Cold War."_

The Doctor's mouth dropped open and he looked over at the alien, who had a smug expression on his face. "Is that what you're trying to do?" he asked pointedly.

The alien blinked, his mouth dropping open. "What?"

Jason looked down at the Major, whose eyes were now wide as saucers. Then he looked over at the alien. "Right," he said quietly, reaching into his bag. To the surprise of everyone, he pulled out a gun, pointed it at the alien, and fired, dropping him like a stone.

"Jason!" the Doctor gasped.

The Alterran did not even bat an eye as he returned the weapon to his bag. "Tranquilizer," he stated matter of factly. "He won't be vanishing into thin air for several hours." He turned his attention back to his patient. "Major, I know you can't talk," he said gently, "but I _can_ hear your thoughts."

The Major's eyes narrowed, only to widen in surprise when the Doctor asked, "How does that creature plan to stop the thaw in the Cold War, Major?"

The Deputy Director started to protest, only to be silenced by the Doctor. "It's called telepathy. It would take far too long to explain the hows and whys. Suffice it to say, I can hear the Major's thoughts. That thing opened a telepathic link and I intend to take full advantage of it." He turned to the thunderstruck guards. "Please take your prisoner to wherever you take prisoners." He threw a quick glance over to the door. "And take the Deputy Director with you. Prince Jason and I will look after Major von dem Eberbach."

"Yes, sir," the senior guard replied and then did as ordered, much to the annoyance of the Deputy Director.

While this was going on, Jason was treating the Major's burned chest with an analgesic spray before going on to cover his upper body.

The Doctor crossed to the injured officer and got down beside him, opposite Jason. "Now, Major, what did you mean?" he said again. "Just think as you would speak and I'll hear you."

The Major gave the Time Lord a steady look before giving his reply. _"The creature is trying to induce worldwide terror. To stop Glasnost. As you said, the KGB has been trying to get hold of me for years. NATO will accuse the KGB. The KGB will deny everything. Eventually, it will all spiral out of control. The disarmament talks will stall…"_

"Disarmament talks?" The Doctor sat back, his eyes focused in the distance. "1987…"

Jason gave him a puzzled look. _Now what does he know?_

Suddenly the Doctor asked, "What's the date?"

Jason blinked. "Don't look at me."

_"It's the twenty-second of August."_

The Doctor frowned, searching his encyclopedic memory. "Yes, of course. INF. NATO had a hand in that from the beginning. But the outcome made Bonn very nervous." He looked over at the now completely baffled Jason.

"Doctor, I'm not following," the Alterran said helplessly. _As usual._

"INF. Intermediate Nuclear Force. The INF Treaty was—_will be_—signed in December of this year. But before that happens…" He turned his gaze to the Major, looking him in the eye. "Would I be correct in assuming you know about the announcement Chancellor Kohl will be making in a less than a week's time?"

Klaus met his gaze but did not reply.

"No one other than Jason and myself can hear you, Major," the Doctor reminded.

_"I can't breach security, Doctor. Not even for you."_

The Doctor's eyes flickered, a wry smile coming to his face. "Then let me tell you your future. On the twenty-sixth day of this month, the Chancellor of West Germany will announce a plan to dismantle short-range INF missiles. Missiles that will not be replaced with more modern weaponry. _But,_ there's a catch. The plan is contingent on the United States and the Soviet Union eliminating _all_ of their LRINF (15) and SRINF (16) missiles under the proposed INF treaty. The treaty that's supposed to be signed in December."  
(15) LRINF - long-range intermediate nuclear force  
(16) SRINF - short-range intermediate nuclear force

Jason's eyes widened. "The treaty that might _not_ even be agreed upon if the KGB and NATO start pointing fingers at one another."

The Doctor nodded. "And in the face of that, West Germany will doubtless withhold the announcement after it learns that the NATO officer in question is one of their nationals."

Klaus closed his eyes upon hearing this. He never once questioned the fact that he might have to give his life to prevent a war. Now, it seemed, his death might actually start one. Bloody ironic.

* * *

The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS and then stood aside, allowing Jason to enter first. The Alterran had once again returned to his true form in order to carry the Major without injuring him further. He made straight for the inner door, pausing only long enough for the Doctor to open it for him.

Klaus had lost consciousness when he was being swaddled in a clean sheet before being lifted from the floor in the interrogation room. He returned to his senses just as the Alterran was passing through the inner door. He slowly opened his eyes and struggled to get his thoughts in order. Then he registered Jason in his true form and closed his eyes again. This was the second time he had regained consciousness to find himself badly injured and entwined in the Alterran's tendrils.

"_Not again._"

"Couldn't be helped," Jason replied. "Just hang on. We'll be at the sickbay soon."

The Major's eyes flickered open, an annoyed look flashing across them. "_I don't like having my thoughts read._"

"That can't be helped, either, I'm afraid," the Doctor said matter of factly. "But if the pattern holds true, it won't last long."

"_Good._"

"But before that happens…" the Doctor went on. "What else can you tell us about that creature? Making so blatant a political statement seems to break its pattern."

"_I got the impression that was the original plan._"

"Original plan?"

"_Apparently, Ivanov was the brains behind it all. The changing political climate was a threat to his power base._"

"As are you, apparently."

"_I don't believe so. It was just trying to make me afraid._"

"You're joking?" Jason injected in amazement. "_You?_"

The Major's eyes flickered, but he was too weak to lose his temper and let the remark pass. "_The room was exactly as I imagined it would be, almost to the last detail._"

"It took that out of your mind, believing you'd be afraid of it," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "But you weren't?"

"_I was…disconcerted at first. That's what made me suspect it was that thing in the first place._"

"Interesting."

"_"You were correct on several points. It doesn't know how to handle a direct confrontation on its own. I think that was what it needed Ivanov for. The more I pressed for information, the more uneasy it became._"

"Did you learn what is it?"

"_No. What I learned is it adapts very, very quickly._"

The Doctor scowled. "So I'd noticed."

"And we still don't know the first thing about it," Jason sighed. "We managed to capture it, but can we hold it?"

"Yes." The Doctor stopped just outside the door to the sickbay and held out the bundle of the Major's clothing he had been carrying. "Jason, while you're working on the Major, I'm going to go ask for some help."

This statement was enough to cause the Alterran to stop dead. "What? You really think the CIA will tell you anything?" Jason felt the Major stiffen in his grasp when he said this.

"_CIA?_"

"Not the one you're thinking of Major," Jason replied knowingly, taking the bundle from the Doctor's hands. "Although this one is just as unhelpful."

"They're the ones who sent me here," the Doctor said coldly. "It's high time they did a little assisting themselves." So saying, he turned on his heel and headed back to the console room.


	27. Healer Mode Revisited

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX**

**HEALER MODE REVISITED**

"Stay with me, Major," Jason said sharply. "You need to concentrate so I can hear you." He had returned to his human form and was attempting to stabilize his patient's condition.

The Major gave the Alterran an unfocused look and had to struggle to get his thoughts back in order. "_Very…tired._"

"I know. I'm sorry," came the gentle reply. "The pain killers are probably kicking in."

"_Yes._"

"Forgive me for pushing you. I don't know how long this telepathic link will stay open."

"_Not too long, I hope. It's difficult enough to guard my actions without having to worry about guarding my thoughts, too._"

"Major, there's nothing of a secret nature in your head that's still secret in the Twenty-seventh century," Jason said knowingly. "I should think the Doctor proved that rather effectively already."

Klaus gave him a dark look. It wasn't just intelligence information he was guarding. "_He's a show off._"

To Jason's surprise, the reply was in Russian. "Just how many languages do you speak?"

"_Fluently? Or with a passing ability?_" came the reply in French.

"Now who's showing off?" Jason replied. "It doesn't matter. Once you've been in the TARDIS, she translates for you."

The Major's eyes grew wide. How had this piece of information gotten past him? _Twice? "Translates…how?"_

"Well…what language are you hearing now?"

"_German._"

"Interesting, don't you think, since I'm actually speaking Alterran."

"_Then why do you sound like an American?_"

Jason sighed. "I have no idea. The TARDIS can be a bit eccentric at times. The old girl is not without a sense of humor."

The Major reflected on this. Technology of this order had incredible potential.

"Just think how frustrated you'd feel," Jason said, breaking the Major's train of thought, "if I couldn't hear you at all."

"_I'm sure that was the intention._"

"Yes. Obviously that thing doesn't realize that the Doctor and I are telepathic."

The Major's eyes narrowed as a sudden thought struck him. "_Why? Why doesn't it know?_"

Jason stopped what he was doing and looked at him. "What?"

"_If it can read minds, why didn't it know already?_"

"And it didn't know what I intended when I was crossing the room," Jason said in a quiet voice. "And when I confronted it, it gave me the strangest…" He caught his breath, looking the Major in the eye. "The Doctor can shield his thoughts, but I can't. Major, I don't think it can read my mind."

"_Perhaps you can make use of that._"

"Perhaps. Just now, you're more in need of my making use of my medical training."

"_That I am._"

Jason gave his patient a quizzical look. "Are you always this subdued when you're this badly injured?"

"_This surprises you?_"

"Yes, to be honest, it does. Especially since we haven't exactly been on the best of terms. I was under the impression that we were working under a truce. Was I wrong?"

"_No. But my life is in your hands. It would be unwise to provoke you._"

Jason actually laughed at this. "Oh, you _have_ matured."

A pause.

"_I'll take that as a compliment._"

"It was meant as one." Jason gave the officer a steady look. "Now, I need you to do something for me."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "_What…?_"

"Go to sleep."

The Major blinked. "_What?_"

"You're bleeding internally. Not a lot, but I'll have to operate to stop it. So…"

"_You've already drugged me._"

Jason's eyes flickered at the accusing tone. He found it amusing but did not allow this to show. "No, actually, that would be unprofessional."

Another pause.

"_I apologize if I offended you._"

Jason's mouth dropped open. "Did I just hear you correctly?"

"_You've treated me as a professional this whole time. You deserve the same from me._"

Jason was momentarily at a loss for words. "Major—" He broke off, looking his patient in the eye. "_Klaus,_" he said firmly. "I need you to do more than treat me as a professional. I need you to trust me to keep you alive."

"_I don't think you can._"

This was not what Jason expected to hear. "Why not?"

Klaus closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "_I know what that thing did to me. It…cooked my insides with electricity. And no amount of surgery will fix it. You can stop the bleeding, repair my cuts and bruises, but you can't fix that, can you?_"

Jason's mouth dropped open. This was all true and he was amazed at how matter of fact the man was about it.

"_I'm going to die,_" the Major went on calmly. "_You know it, and I know it._"

The concerned look on Jason's face deepened into worry. "I know nothing of the kind," he lied. "What I do know is I will do everything in my power to keep you alive. No matter what."

"_I believe you'll try to work another miracle. I'm just not sure that you'll succeed._"

"Damnation, Klaus! This is not the time for your fatalistic attitude. If you give up, I can't save you, miracle or not."

The look the Major gave Jason in reply made his hair stand on end. It also spoke volumes. This was a man who had looked death in the face more times than he could count. A man who knew that one day the odds would catch up with him. It seemed that the Major had decided that this was that day.

"Don't stop fighting now," Jason pleaded, meeting his patient's intense gaze. "Please, don't give up on me."

Klaus was silent a long time. "_I won't give up if you won't,_" he said finally.

* * *

_Calm. _

Quiet.

Safe.

This last thought finally penetrated the Major's consciousness. Safe. _Safe?_ He so rarely allowed himself to feel safe. Only on those occasions when he was between missions and in the confines of Schloss Eberbach, and even then, he did not always let his guard down.

Klaus struggled to concentrate, to take stock of his current situation, to recall exactly what was happening. He was on a mission, that much he remembered. Something had gone very, very wrong, he remembered that, too. Vaguely. Had he been injured or captured? A voice in the back of his mind told him the answer was both. _Both!_ Injured _and_ captured. That was a disconcerting thought. But in what order had it occurred?

Klaus became aware of the sensation of floating accompanied by an equally odd sense of peace. This could only have been accomplished with drugs. Drugs. Yes, that would make sense. He had been drugged. _Why?_ He tried to concentrate further. Why couldn't he remember? _Because you've been drugged, you idiot!_

Klaus started to claw his way to consciousness. As he moved through the layers, more and more facts returned to mind. _You are **not** safe,_ he told himself over and over. _You're in Moscow surrounded by the bloody KGB. In the Goddamn Lubyanka, for Christ's sake._ Then he became aware of the fact that he was not alone. Someone was standing beside him and was…

Jason was in the process of repairing the innumerable cuts on his patient's inner thighs when the Major came awake all at once.

"Get your fucking hands off me, you Goddamn pervert!"

Jason almost jumped out of his skin. He let out an alarmed cry, dropping the instrument in his hand. "Shit!" he exclaimed, a hand going to his chest. "Don't do that! You scared the hell out of me."

The Major was still trying to get his thoughts in order, to remember exactly what had happened to him. He tried to move, only to discover he was strapped down. His legs had been spread an indecent distance apart and were secured at the ankles and knees. This only seemed to verify that he was still a captive of the alien and that his rescue had been an illusion planted in his mind. Just as the attack on Eroica had been.

"What are you doing to me?" he demanded, fighting the restraints holding him immobile.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Jason moaned, switching from English to German, since this seemed the language his multi-lingual patient preferred at the moment. He put a hand on the struggling man's shoulder. "I'm trying to save your life. What the hell do you think I'm doing?" he said firmly. "Now calm down."

"Fuck calm down, you Goddamn—"

"Stop right there, Klaus!" Jason snapped, his voice suddenly cold and hard. "And give very serious consideration to what you about to say and to whom you are about to say it. Or have you reconsidered not provoking me?"

The Major's mind cleared enough for him to register where he was and who was standing over him. He gave Jason a dark look, but did not reply directly. He did, however, respond in English, something the Alterran took particular note of.

_Why does he think he needs to speak to me in English? It's that wretched American accent, isn't it? I have **got** to talk to the Doctor about that._

"Why have you started calling me by name?" Klaus demanded.

A small smile came to the Healer's face. "Because, like your native language, you respond to it when you're not fully cognizant," he said, switching back to English. "So long as you're my patient, you have no rank. Not in here."

The officer gave a low growl of disapproval.

"_Major,_" Jason said pointedly, "has it escaped your notice that you are talking to me? Not thinking, _talking._ And in _English._"

The Major's eyes grew wide. It _had_ escaped his notice. _Goddamn drugs._ What had _not_ escaped his notice was the fact that he was lying naked on an examining table in an indecent position and unable to move. "Why have you strapped me down?" he demanded.

Jason heaved an exasperated sigh. The man was as predictable as ever. "So I could work on your injuries. And don't you dare start accusing me of—" He broke off as a sudden thought struck him. He chose his next words very carefully when he asked, "Klaus, that thing didn't…_molest_ you in any way, did it?"

"No. I said I would kill it with my bare hands if it tried."

Jason's eyebrows went up. "Really? And it backed off?"

"Yes." Klaus was about to ask why this surprised him when he realized what the Alterran meant. There was no reason for the creature to have backed off. He had been completely helpless, yet his captor had not crossed the line, despite the fact that it could have at any time. It had, however, played a very nasty game—_down there_—instead.

Jason was looking at the gashes he had been in the process of repairing. They covered a good portion of the Major's inner thighs, and some had come perilously close to his genitals. It was obvious that the alien had been taunting the captive officer, but had stopped short of inflicting any serious damage on his…er, manhood. Jason closed his eyes as this last thought crossed his mind. _Jesus, is this man's Victorian modesty catching?_

"Klaus, I have to finish working on your legs," he said calmly.

"I know," the Major replied with a growl.

"Then you also know I'm going to have to…touch you." _Yes, it's definitely rubbing off on me._

Klaus gritted his teeth. This was one of the reasons he hated doctors. They were always putting their hands in places…

"That's why you're strapped down," Jason informed. "You've been semi-conscious the last hour, and fighting me the whole time."

"And now I'm awake, so you can let me go."

"I'm not so sure about—"

The Major responded with an angry growl followed by a stream of curses. He pulled at the restraints in rage.

Jason observed this display without surprise. "Klaus, I know I told you not to stop fighting," he said calmly, "but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. You're weak enough as it is. You'll exhaust yourself if you keep this up. And I can't see it helping the damage you've already done to yourself."

Finally, the fog fully lifted in the Major's mind and he stopped fighting. He recalled the conversation with Jason just prior to being sedated. _Sedated._ Yes, that was when he'd been drugged. Then he remembered how he felt just prior to waking. Safe. To his annoyance, he realized he still felt safe. _Safe!_ Even strapped to a table, stark naked with an alien standing over him telling him he was about to start— He still felt safe. God fucking dammit! Had his instincts _completely_ deserted him?

The Major was startled out of his thoughts when a sheet was suddenly thrown over him. It was then positioned so that only the area Jason was working on was exposed.

"Does _that_ meet with your approval?" the Healer asked calmly.

Klaus chose not to point out that the only thing that would meet with his approval would be for him to be fully clothed and armed. "It will have to do," he said sourly. He had to fight to keep his voice even as he asked, "Are you gonna keep me tied down?"

"Are you gonna keep fighting me?" Jason countered.

This was a fair question to which Klaus had no answer. Fighting back was automatic. To not do so would seem like surrender. "Why are you even bothering?" he asked finally.

Jason rolled his eyes. "So much for not giving up on me."

"Don't patronize me, Jason," Klaus shot back. "That thing kept me alive the same way it did Turlough. Obviously, its influence has worn off. So, why am I still alive?"

Jason met the Major's accusing gaze steadily. "You're still alive because I have you on full life support," he informed startlingly. "That's what this bed does. It keeps you alive. It's taken over just about every one of your major life functions."

This was not what Klaus expected to hear and he fell into a stunned silence.

"Now, do you have any other questions?" Jason said calmly. "Or can I finish what I was doing?"

Klaus had several hundred questions, but did not want to ask them until his head was clearer. "Just get on with it," he growled, forcing himself to relax.

"Will you give me your word you won't fight me if I remove the restraints?" Jason asked cautiously.

Klaus gave another low growl. "Yes," he said between clenched teeth.

Jason had to fight not to smile. "I'm trusting you on this one. As a professional," he said as he removed the restraints.

"A wise move."

Jason did not reply, turning his attention to the gashes on his patient's legs. He reached down, stopped, and straightened, looking the Major in the eye again. "Um, just one thing…"

"Now what?"

"Don't kill me with your bare hands until _after_ I've finished. Okay?"

Klaus's eyes flickered and he could not prevent the edges of his mouth from curling upward in amusement. "That would be unprofessional."


	28. Recovery

**CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN**

**RECOVERY**

"By the way, Klaus, have I thanked you, yet, for not killing me?" Jason said sardonically as he covered his patient with a blanket.

The officer had withstood the extremely intimate and admittedly humiliating process while all the cuts on his legs were repaired. He had also kept his promise not to fight the procedure, although this did not stop him from expressing his displeasure the entire time. When Jason announced that he was going to bathe him, another stream of expletives was triggered. The Alterran ignored the outburst, ending the fight by threatening to return to his true form and meticulously sponge down every inch of the officer's body.

Finally, the Major was clean and dry, his wounds dressed. Unlike the Earl, whose vanity demanded that his bruises be concealed, the Major's injuries had been treated with a clear dressing.

Klaus allowed himself to relax slightly when a second blanket was thrown over him. He gave an indignant snort at Jason's remark, being inwardly grateful that this was all the Healer would expect of him. He was completely exhausted and incapable of fighting any longer. It was obvious Jason intended to keep him naked in order to monitor his injuries, much to his extreme annoyance. But as long has he was completely covered, the Major decided that he would refrain from objecting. For the time being, anyway.

Jason checked the monitors at the Major's bedside, making a few entries into the computer. Then he threw a quick glance over at his patient. It was all too obvious the officer was struggling to stay awake and Jason could not help but admire the man's tenacity. "Klaus, you get some rest," he said conversationally. "I need to leave you on your own for a bit while I check on Turlough."

This was enough to gain the Major's full attention. "How is he?"

"Out of danger and responding well."

"Good."

Jason gave the Major a sympathetic look. "You're not still feeling guilty about what happened to him, are you?"

"What do you think?" the officer said frostily. "A civilian _I_ was responsible for was almost killed because of my incompetence."

"Bullshit. I don't believe that for a minute. I might've before, but not now."

The Major gave Jason a questioning look. "Why not now?"

"Because if that thing can get hold of Iron Klaus, it can get hold of anyone."

Klaus gave a non-committal grunt.

"There's nothing you could've done to prevent that thing from deciding to play Jack the Ripper and carve someone up."

"I don't know if I believe…" the Major's voice trailed off. "Carve someone up?"

Jason's eyes narrowed. "What?"

Klaus gave him a stunned look. "When they threatened to throw the Earl into the booth, I told them they could carve him up for Christmas dinner for all I cared."

Jason's mouth dropped open. "My…God…"

"And Lord Gloria said something about them taking me to an interrogation room for torture."

Jason's eyes were wide and staring off into the distance. "It's using our—your—words against you," he said quietly. "It must've picked up your mental images then."

The Major did not reply, turning away. This only made matters worse.

Jason sighed heavily but did not go into it further. He had something else on his mind. "Dorian will be insisting on seeing you, you realize."

The Major turned back, his eyes wide. "_No._ Don't you let that pervert anywhere near me."

"Klaus…"

"_Nein!_"

"You insisted on seeing _him,_" Jason pointed out.

"That was different."

"How?"

"He's only here because of me. The KGB thought they could use him to get to me, bloody idiots. He's my responsibility."

"Because he's a civilian?"

"Exactly."

Jason's eyes flickered. _Yeah, right._ The man would rather face a firing squad than admit to being concerned about anyone, especially Dorian. "Is that the only reason?"

The Major gave the Alterran a steady look. "If you let that faggot in here alone, he'll have these blankets off me in two seconds. The bloody pervert's been trying to see me naked for years." He gritted his teeth and grudgingly admitted, "And I don't have the strength to stop him, and you know it."

"Ah." A smile started to blossom on Jason's face. "He'll have a bit of a problem, then. You're inside an exclusion field."

"A what?" This was a new one. More alien technology, no doubt.

"An exclusion field." Jason indicated the glow surrounding the bed upon which the Major was lying. "The sterile field can filter out all kinds of things. I've reset the parameters to only allow specific individuals through, utilizing their DNA."

"Meaning?"

"Dorian won't be able to touch you. Only the Doctor and I can get through the field."

Klaus blinked, giving the Alterran a stunned look. "When did you do that?"

"Reset the parameters, you mean?"

"Yes."

The grin on Jason's face continued to widen. "As soon as I turned it on," he replied. "Klaus, I really like Dorian. But that doesn't mean I trust him. Even if I do tell him he can't come in, we both know he'll try to sneak in anyway."

The Major closed his eyes and sighed heavily. This was true, damn the man. He'd done it before.(17) Although he doubted Eroica could do too much sneaking around in the TARDIS.  
(17) Intermission

"Well?" Jason asked.

"If you _must_ let the Earl in," Klaus said at last, "at least do it while I'm asleep so I won't have to listen to any of his foppish nonsense."

* * *

Jason was surprised to find the Doctor in Turlough's room and Dorian conspicuous by his absence. He soon learned that the Doctor had sent the Earl off to get some rest _without_ telling him what had happened to the Major.

"You didn't tell him?" Jason said in surprise.

"No. I rather thought he's had enough shocks to his system," the Doctor replied calmly.

Jason gave him a sideways look. "And you also rather thought that I should be the one giving him the next shock."

Turlough gave a small laugh at the guilty expression this produced. "He's got you there, Doctor."

"I'm glad someone's getting back to normal," Jason said coolly, giving the boy a quick check. He asked a battery of questions, finally giving a nod of approval. "Yes, I can officially say you are out of danger and on the road to recovery."

"What about the Major?" the Doctor asked.

Jason gave him a steady look, his expression grave. "I'd rather not say."

The Doctor decided not to press further, his face darkening considerably. He threw a quick glance over at Turlough, recalling Jason's equally pessimistic outlook following the young man's surgery.

"From your expression," Jason observed, "I can only assume the CIA is up to their usual standards."

The Doctor drew a deep breath. "They're checking into it," he replied, a distinct edge to his voice. "Meaning we'll have this sorted out six ways to Sunday before they decide to contact me again."

"I am trying very hard not to say I told you so."

"And I'm afraid I have more bad news…" the Doctor said grimly.

Jason's eyes narrowed. "What…?"

"Apparently, your tranquilizer doesn't have the same effect on the alien as it does on humans," the Doctor began slowly. "It seems it vanished into thin air half an hour after it was locked up."

Jason put a hand to his head. "Wonderful."

* * *

Several hours after being sent off to rest, Eroica returned to Turlough's room to find Jason there. He was sitting beside the boy, who had a laptop computer open on a bed table.

Jason looked up when the Earl entered, all smiles. _This is not going to be fun,_ he thought darkly.

Eroica saw the grave expression on both men's faces and stopped dead. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

"Dorian, sit down," Jason said calmly.

"Why? What's happened?"

Jason got to his feet. "Dorian, please, I have to tell you something…"

Eroica's eyes were wide as saucers. "Something's happened to the Major, hasn't it?" He threw an angry look over to the door. "The bloody KGB—"

"No, not the KGB this time."

Eroica's eyes narrowed in bewilderment. _Not the KGB? Who else was there?_ "Oh, hell!" he exclaimed, a hand going to his mouth. "That…_thing?_"

"Yes."

"When? How?" By this time, Eroica was on the verge of hysterics. He didn't know if he wanted to cry or if he wanted to kill someone. He was also trembling badly and only vaguely aware of Jason guiding him to a seat.

"Do you want some water?" the Alterran asked gently.

"I want to see him."

A small smile came to Jason's face. "Dorian…"

"Bugger trying to talk me out of it, Jason," Eroica snapped. "I want to see him. Now!"

"Well, you can't," Jason stated flatly.

"I'll break into the room."

"I have the Doctor reconfigure the TARDIS interior and move it."

Eroica blinked. "What?" This reply was so unexpected it cooled his anger instantly.

"The TARDIS interior isn't fixed. The Doctor can reprogram it whenever he likes." Jason threw a knowing look in Turlough's direction. "Although, the old girl has been known to change corridors around of her own volition from time to time."

Turlough gave a groan upon hearing this. "Yes, she has," he replied. He had spent the better part of a day trying to find his way back to the console room once when the TARDIS decided to change where one particular door led.

"If you try to sneak into the Major's room before I'm ready to let you in," Jason was saying, "I'll have the Doctor remove the door out there and put it somewhere else."

Eroica stared at the Alterran for nearly a minute. "You can be very cruel, Jason," he said at last.

Jason could not help but laugh. "Listen to the pot calling the kettle black!" He received a wounded look in reply. "Don't give me that injured two year old look again," he admonished. "I'm not buying it."

Eroica gave an indignant snort.

"I'm not letting you in to see the Major until he's out of recovery and that's final," Jason stated flatly.

Eroica felt his heart miss a beat. _Recovery. Just how badly did that thing hurt him?_ He gave Jason a searching look, but chose not to ask. In fact, he wasn't sure he really wanted to know all the details. Not yet, anyway.

Suddenly Jason was getting to his feet. "I'll be back to get you as soon as Klaus is out of recovery, okay?" So saying, he vanished through the door.

Eroica sat back, his eyes widening. "Klaus…?"

* * *

After waiting impatiently for nearly three hours, Eroica was finally standing in front of the door to the Major's room. Jason was in front of him, his face more serious than the Earl had ever seen it.

"Dorian, you know the ground rules…" Jason began calmly.

"Of course," Eroica replied breezily. "Look, but don't touch. You're no fun anymore." In the time since he learned of the creature's attack on the Major, and he had been able to recover his composure enough not to completely go to pieces when Jason came to get him.

"Dorian, I'm trying to be serious."

"Well, I'm _not,_" Eroica replied bluntly. "I don't know what to expect on the other side of that door. And you won't bloody tell me!"

Jason lowered his eyes and sighed. He looked up, giving his friend a piercing look. "Klaus is in bad shape. But I'm sure you've already figured that out."

"How bad?"

"Extremely critical."

"Is he going to die?"

Jason hesitated. "Not if I can help it."

"Oh, God!"

"Now, this is exactly why I didn't tell you anything," Jason said reprovingly. "You're already panicking."

"No, no, I'm fine." Eroica waved a hand in the air.

Jason was less than convinced but did not remark on it. "One more thing. _Please,_ don't wake him."

"Jason…"

"I mean it. He's extremely weak and needs all the rest he can get. You know how worked up he gets when you're around."

Eroica opened his mouth to remark on this and checked himself. If he started making off color remarks, Jason might make good on his threat to have the room moved. He had learned from Turlough that he had not been making this up. The Doctor _could_ change the interior of the TARDIS around, and probably would if the Alterran asked him to.

"_And,_" Jason was saying, "he said that if you insisted on this, I was to bring you when he was asleep."

"So he wouldn't have to see me," Eroica concluded.

"Yes."

"That is _so_ like the Major."

"Yes. The last thing he needs is for you to start pushing his buttons."

Eroica had to stifle a giggle. "Jason, I'm trying very hard not to respond to that."

"_Dorian._"

"I know, not now."

Jason sighed heavily. The man was impossible. "Do you agree to Klaus's terms, or do I go in with you?"

"I promise, I'll be as quiet as a mouse," Eroica replied, crossing his chest with one hand. "Cross my heart." The Alterran gave him a disapproving sideways glance. "Jason, if there's one thing I know, it's stealth."

The Alterran nodded, standing aside to allow the Earl to enter. A voice in the back of his head told him that the thief would break his promise the minute he was inside the room. Not that it mattered. Dorian was in for a nasty surprise the moment he tried anything.


	29. Dorian & Klaus

**CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT**

**DORIAN & KLAUS**

The Major's room was brighter then Eroica expected. He had assumed the lights would be down, as they had been in the _ARGO_. He looked at the Major's peacefully sleeping figure and was surprised when he saw the bruises on his face. He wondered why Jason had not covered them as he had with his own. Of course, the answer was obvious. Iron Klaus would never allow any kind of cosmetics.

Eroica moved silently across the room, finally coming to stand at the bedside. He looked up at the monitor and frowned. _Surely, those readings should be higher._ Then he remembered what Jason had said. Extremely critical. Was the Healer being _generous_ in his assessment? Surely, the Major wasn't going to die.

Klaus stirred, changing position before settling back into sleep.

Eroica looked down as the Major shifted beneath his blankets, his long dark hair falling onto his bare shoulder-

_Bare shoulder!_

In an instant, all the promises the Earl had made to Jason evaporated.

Eroica's eyes grew wide, a hand going to his mouth. _Major! Are you naked under those blankets?_ He suddenly found himself extremely jealous of Jason, hundreds of questions colliding into one another in his mind. He looked at the blankets covering the officer's battered form. They were only an arm's length away. Just a short arm's length away.

Eroica's heart started to pound, his breathing quickening. Then his hand started to reach out as one part of his mind started to argue with the other.

_You promised to behave yourself.  
** One quick peek.**_

Jason will never let you back in.  
**He'll never know.**

The Major will wake up.  
**No, he won't.**

He'll kill you if he finds out.  
**Who's gonna tell him?**

Before Eroica could decide which voice to listen to, his conscience or his lechery, his hand came in contact with the exclusion field. There was a sharp crackle of static and he let out an equally sharp startled cry.

What Jason had failed to mention was that, while Eroica could not reach into the exclusion field, the Major could reach out. The officer's eyes snapped open and before he realized what he was doing, he had a firm grip on the Earl's wrist. "You bloody pervert!"

Eroica let out another cry of alarm. "I wasn't gonna-"

"Don't fucking lie to me, Lord Gloria. I've known you too long."

"I just wanted to see you." Eroica regretted his choice of words the moment they were out of his mouth, the grip on his wrist tightened in response. "That's not what I meant!" he said defensively.

"Liar!"

"Major, let me go."

"Why? So you can rape me in my bed?"

"Stop saying that!" Eroica cried angrily. "Stop bloody saying that! It's not funny."

Klaus saw a terrified expression flashed across the Earl's face. The same one he had seen when... He blinked as he came to a horrifying realization. "It's true," he said quietly.

"What's true?" Eroica asked petulantly. He gave up trying to pull free of the iron grip and tried a different tactic. A direct appeal. "Major, you're hurting me. I'm still bruised under there." To his surprise, the officer released his hold on him.

"That creature..._assaulted_ you," Klaus said in a disbelieving tone.

"You already know that!" Eroica said sourly, rubbing his wrist. Then he stopped and looked up. "Hang on, you said assaulted."

"Yes."

"Not attacked. You said..." Eroica suddenly realized what the Major meant and caught his breath. "You _know! _"

"Yes."

"Everything?"

"Yes."

"_How? _Jason promised-"

"Not Jason," the Major said sharply. "That...creature. I don't know how. But it...showed me everything it did to you."

"Oh, God!" Eroica closed his eyes, a trembling hand going to his mouth. He turned away, unable to face the Major's penetrating gaze. "Go on, tell me I was asking for it. That I deserved it."

The Major's reply was not what Eroica expected, nor was his tone. It was almost caring. "Do you think you deserved it?"

"Oh, bugger! Just say it and get it over with."

Klaus was watching Eroica's body language. He may have been turned away, but his posture spoke volumes. "Lord Gloria, you said no. Several times."

Eroica spun around, anger flashing in his eyes. "Did that surprise you, Major?" he spat bitterly. "That I actually said no."

"Yes."

"Bastard."

Klaus rolled his eyes, sighing heavily. "You expect me to lie to you?"

Eroica gave the officer a searching look. "No. I expect you to accuse _me_ of lying."

"Is that why you didn't tell me everything to begin with?"

Eroica opened his mouth, only to close it again. After a long pause, he said, "Would it've made a difference?"

"Made a difference?" the Major repeated, wishing he had the strength to sit up. "That thing attacked you looking like _me. _"

"No, that thing _raped_ me looking like you, Major!" Eroica countered forcefully. "Go on, say the word. You accuse me of wanting to do it often enough."

Klaus gave him a steady look. "Lord Gloria..."

"Dorian! My name is Dorian," Eroica snapped angrily.

"I know that."

"Then why don't you call me that?"

"Because I'm not your friend," came the matter of fact reply.

"That's not what you said in Heinburg," Eroica countered.

The Major's eyes narrowed. "When?"

"At the bridge. You told them you were a friend.(8) I foolishly believed it."  
(8) Emperor Waltz

The Major closed his eyes as the incident returned to mind. _Dammit, how did he find out about that?_ The Earl had been out of earshot when he'd said it. So, who the hell told him? "I don't remember saying that," he lied.

Eroica gave him a steady look and then held up his hands. "Fine. Just...fine, have it your way," he said coolly. "I didn't come in here to fight with you."

The Major met the other man's gaze with an almost bored look. "I'm gonna ignore the obvious," he said astringently. "What _did_ you come in here for?"

"Why do you think? I was worried about you!" came the defensive reply.

The Major gave a derisive snort. "Worried."

"Yes, dammit, Major, worried. I love you!"

Eroica was not surprised when this declaration was met with a hostile look. He was, however, surprised by the reply.

"No, you don't. You don't know what that means any more than I do."

"Major!"

"You claim you love me," Klaus went on fiercely. "Then you steal from me. You involve yourself in my missions. You humiliate me at every opportunity. You betray me. And you _still_ have the audacity to stand there and say you love me!"

"No...I...but..." Eroica sputtered.

"You see. You can't even defend yourself. You're not in love, Lord Gloria. You're in lust," the Major went on brutally. "You're still the same selfish, self-centered narcissist you were the day I met you."

The thunderstruck Eroica stood with his mouth open. _No! He can't be right. I won't allow him to be right!_

The Major continued to shock the Earl when he suddenly asked, "You want to _see_ what that thing did to me?"

"Major, please..."

"No, that's what you want, isn't it? What you _lust_ after," the Major said tauntingly.

"Damn you. Now you _are_ sounding like that-" He broke off when the Major pulled the blankets down far enough to expose his bare chest and reveal the horrific burns covering it.

"Take a good look, Lord Gloria."

Eroica's enormous eyes grew even wider and he caught his breath. "Dear God, Major, what...?"

The Major quickly pulled the blankets up again. "Electricity. It used it to...cook me," he said coldly. He looked the Earl in the eyes and announced, "I'm dying."

"No! You can't-"

"Shut up!" the Major snapped impatiently.

Eroica stood staring, his mouth agape. _How do you argue with a fatalist on death? His own death at that_? "But...surely Jason..."

The Major gave a smile of irony that sent a chill down Eroica's spine. "Jason can do only so much. I think he's finally run out of miracles."

"Oh, fuck."

The Major gave a small grunt of agreement. "You said it. As soon as I got this mission, I knew I was gonna die in Moscow. Goddamn, bloody, fucking NATO."

Eroica found himself unable to meet the officer's intense gaze and turned away. What more could he say? It would all sound trite or cliché. He'd told the man he loved how he felt before he died. That was something, at least, even if he didn't believe it.

Klaus watched as the Earl struggled to accept what he was being told and was surprised when he realized he was actually impressed. He had expected some kind of emotional display, but instead the Earl was amazingly restrained. _Is he actually attempting to be strong? _That was so uncharacteristically selfless where Eroica was concerned. _Damn you, Eroica. Don't start being selfless now._

Klaus returned to reality when he felt a pressure in his chest. He closed his eyes and waited for it to subside. It didn't. In fact, it started to intensify. Then he started to have difficulty breathing. His eyes snapped open and turned to Eroica, who still had his back to him. "Lord Gloria..." he said quietly.

"Don't talk to me!" Eroica snapped. He was having enough trouble fighting back tears. The last thing he needed was to get into another fight. "Just don't bloody-"

"_Dorian._"

Eroica felt his heart miss a beat and he spun around. The Major's eyes were wide and he had a hand to his chest. "Klaus...?" he ventured tentatively.

"I...can't...breathe."

"Christ!" Eroica did not even think twice. He turned on his heel and bolted for the door, praying that Jason was still with Turlough.

* * *

The Doctor had been quiet a very long time. Jason sat watching as he mulled everything over in his head. The Alterran threw a quick glance in Turlough's direction and received a don't-look-at-me shrug. They could be there for hours.

"We don't seem any closer to an answer now than we were when we arrived," the Doctor said at last.

"I know," Jason replied darkly. "I'm really starting to get annoyed."

"I'm surprised you're not completely exhausted," Turlough observed. "We've all kept you rather busy."

Jason gave him a small smile. "Gave me a chance to brush up on my skills. It's been a while since I was in an operating room."

Turlough gave him a stricken look. "I'm glad I didn't know that _before_ all this happened."

Jason grinned, turning back to the Doctor, who still had a very serious expression on his face.

"How about your other patients?" the Time Lord asked conversationally.

"Obviously, Turlough is well on his way to being back to normal."

"Thankfully," Turlough replied.

"And Dorian's trying to figure out how to steal the contents of the TARDIS wardrobe," Jason said aridly.

"And the Major?" The Doctor saw a dark cloud pass over the Alterran's face the moment he asked the question. That was not a good sign.

Jason met the Time Lord's inquiring gaze before saying bluntly, "He's going to die."

The Doctor blinked. "What?"

"I can't save him, Doctor. The life support equipment can only do so much. But his body will eventually give out."

"Oh, dear."

"And he knows it's going to happen."

"Did you tell him that?"

"No, actually. He told me."

The Doctor fell into another thoughtful silence.

Turlough drew a deep breath. "It's too bad the transmat doesn't work properly. You could've used the imprint patterns in the buffer," he said offhandedly.

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a look of mutual astonishment. Now, why hadn't _they_ thought of that?

"The transmat!" Jason gasped. "Turlough, you're a genius!"

The young man's eyebrows went up. "I am?"

The Doctor was already on his feet. "Yes, you are," he said firmly. "That's brilliant."

"Doctor, I don't understand. I thought the transmat didn't work properly."

"The one in _this_ time zone doesn't," Jason replied happily. "But the one in _mine_ does. And the Major was perfectly healthy when he stepped into it."

The Doctor's face darkened briefly. "I say, Jason. This won't work if someone's used it since you left."

An enormous smile was threatening to take over Jason's face. "Doctor, that transmat is off limits until the time corridor is shut down. No one will've gone near it."

"Then what are we doing standing around here?"

"I don't know."

The Doctor gave a bright smile. "I think we'd be better served if I have the TARDIS tied into the transmat buffer."

Jason gave Turlough a quick sideways glance. "You think you're up to manning the TARDIS controls while the Doctor and I work on the transmat?"

Turlough threw off his blanket and swung his feet off the side of the bed. "Just give me my clothes back."

"Not a tad eager, are you?"

"If I stay in this bed another minute, I'll go mad."

Jason grinned, handing the boy his clothes. "I'm not going to let you overdo it, Turlough," he said warningly. "You're in no condition to be walking around, either. I'm taking you in a wheelchair."

"While you two get sorted out, I'll be in the console room." The Doctor pulled open the door just as Eroica burst from the Major's room, clearly in a panic. "Dorian?" he gasped. "What on Earth-?"

"Jason? Where's Jason?" Eroica asked breathlessly.

A bewildered Jason suddenly appeared in the doorway. "I'm right here. What's wrong?"

"He can't breathe," Eroica practically screamed. "Jason, he can't breathe!"

Jason threw a worried look in the Doctor's direction. "I think you'd better get us to my time zone as soon as possible," he said as he strode from the room.


	30. Unexpected Occurances

**CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE**

**UNEXPECTED OCCURRENCES**

Jason made straight for the monitors at the Major's bedside, silencing the alarm that had sounded a split second after Dorian appeared outside Turlough's room. _It's already starting,_ the Healer thought, and sooner than he expected. The Major's body was breaking down. Soon, the equipment wouldn't be able to compensate for the damage. _Just hang on until the Doctor can work a little magic._

"Hang on, Klaus," Jason said reassuringly. "Just a few more seconds..." His fingers flew over the entry pad as he adjusted the settings on the equipment.

Klaus closed his eyes and drew on every scrap of his training to remain calm. He could feel his heart pounding and wondered abstractly if he would feel when it stopped; feel when his damaged body finally failed him and simply stopped functioning. Then he felt the pressure in his chest subside, little by little. Finally, breathing became easier. Crisis averted. He wasn't going to die. At least, not just yet.

Klaus heard Jason move up beside him and opened his eyes. He was still trying to get his breath back and could not find the energy to speak. The Healer's face was a study of compassion and worry. _Dammit, why are we trying so hard?_ This was the last thought to go through the Major's mind before he blacked out.

"Shit!" Jason hissed. He ignored the monitors, his fingers going to the Major's neck. He did a quick scan of his condition, his worried expression darkening.

"Jason...?" Eroica said tentatively.

Jason's head snapped around. He had been concentrated on the Major so hard that he had completely forgotten the Earl was there. "Dorian, please leave," he ordered.

"Like hell!"

The Alterran straightened, giving the man a piercing look. "That wasn't a request."

"I don't care," Eroica countered fiercely. "I'm not leaving."

"Dorian, if Klaus finds out you were here while I was treating him-"

"He'll just pitch a fit," Eroica concluded. "So what?"

"More likely he'll kill me with his bare hands."

Eroica blinked, startled by the matter of fact tone in the Alterran's voice. "Surely you _are_ joking?"

"You don't think he's capable?"

"Jason, I've seen what _you're_ capable of. Are you telling me you think the Major is actually capable of killing _you_ with his bare hands?"

Jason threw a quick glance back to his patient. "Well, not in his present condition, obviously. But under normal circumstances, if he were to catch me off guard, definitely. He came damn close when you were in my sickbay."

Eroica was taken aback. He couldn't imagine Jason being wary of anyone, even the Major. Why was everything turning on its head?

"I have the utmost respect for a trained killer," the Alterran stated flatly.

"I'm a trained professional," the Major corrected quietly.

Jason spun around. "Klaus, don't talk."

The Major gave an indignant snort. "Why?"

"To save your strength, for one thing."

Another indignant snort. "Why bother?"

"Major!" Eroica gasped.

Klaus wished he had the strength to turn his back on the pair of them. He settled for turning his face away. "Let me die in peace, will you?"

"Don't you dare give up on me, you pig-headed German!" Jason snapped.

"You call that an insult? Amateur."

"Will you at least _listen_ to me?"

"Why?"

"Because we have a plan," Jason replied forcefully. "It's a long shot, but it _might_ just save your life."

Klaus turned back to look at him, a suspicious expression on his face. "How?"

* * *

When Jason finished explaining what he and the Doctor intended, he gave the Major a searching look. "Well, what do you think?"

"I think you're both mad," the Major replied bluntly.

Jason rolled his eyes, throwing his hands in the air. "Terrific. So you won't even let us try?"

"I didn't say that. What do I have to lose?"

Jason gave the Major a disapproving sideways look.

"When are you gonna attempt this lunacy?" Klaus then asked.

"I don't know. Soon." Jason cocked his head and listened a moment. "We've already dematerialized."

"How can you tell?" Eroica asked.

"The TARDIS hum is different when we're in flight." Jason threw a quick glance over to the door. "Turlough is going to monitor things in the console room. I need to get him there. I'll be able to check on our status at the same time."

Klaus nodded and closed his eyes. "Then, I'll _conserve_ my strength."

Jason could not prevent a small smile from coming to his face. "Good. You do that." He looked over at Eroica, who had been amazingly quiet during the entire conversation. "I'll leave Dorian to keep an eye on you, if that's alright?"

The Major's eyes flickered open. "Is the exclusion field still operating?"

"Yes."

The Major closed his eyes again. "Then it's alright."

The Healer gave the monitors another quick check before he headed for the door.

"I won't be a moment, Major. I need a word with Jason," Eroica said suddenly and followed the Healer to the door.

Jason stepped into the corridor, holding the door for the Earl. He closed it behind them and then turned. He was surprised by the angry expression on the other man's face. "Dorian, what's-" He got no further and was almost knocked off his feet when Dorian slapped him across the face as hard as he could. "What the hell was _that_ for!" the shocked Alterran demanded, a hand going to his stinging cheek. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood on it. "I'm bleeding!"

"You bastard!" Eroica snarled, beside himself with anger. "You damned bloody alien bastard!"

"What did I do?"

"Do? What did you _do? _" The enraged Eroica looked on the verge of tears. He also looked on the point of striking the Alterran a second time. "You lied to me!"

Jason took an automatic step back. Despite the fact that the Earl was taller in stature and more muscular in appearance, Jason was considerable stronger than he looked, even in his human form. He was fully capable of inflicting some very serious injuries if he chose to, which he did not. He also did not want to have any more injuries inflicted on himself, either.

"When? When did I lie to you?" he asked helplessly.

"You told me the Major wasn't going to die!"

"No, I didn't!"

"You said-"

"I said," Jason broke in sharply, "not if I could help it."

"Damn you!" Eroica swung again.

This time the Alterran was ready for him and caught him by the arm.

_Damnation,_ Eroica thought as the vice-like grip tightened around his wrist. _Twice in one day!_ "Let me go!"

"Not if you're going to hit me again," Jason replied logically. "Now calm down."

"Calm down! You expect me to calm down with the Major-" Eroica broke off, correcting himself. "With _Klaus_ lying on his death bed in there!" He waved his free hand at the door beside him to make his point.

"Yes," Jason countered fiercely. "In _there. _And you're out _here_ having a hissy fit."

"Damn you."

"Yes, fine, damn me. But standing out here swearing at me and going into hysterics isn't going to make this situation any better," Jason said calmly. Dorian gave him a look that actually sent a chill down his spine. He had never seen the man so angry. "Now _calm down. _If Klaus sees you like this..."

"Shut up!"

"_Dorian!_" Jason snapped with an authority he rarely used, "Calm...down. Now!"

Eroica stood glaring down at the Alterran, who met his gaze unflinchingly.

"Please," Jason said in a level voice.

Eroica closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. He then made a valiant attempt to get hold of himself. It took a few minutes before he finally succeeded. "May I have my arm back, please," he said politely.

"Certainly." Jason released his grip and gave his friend a searching look. "Now, are you alright to go back in there?"

"I don't know."

Jason gave a small smile. "You'll be fine. You know where to find me if you need me." So saying, he turned on his heel and headed back to Turlough's room.

* * *

Eroica reentered the Major's room, pausing at the door. _You can't die. You simply cannot die. Not like this. It's too senseless._

After several minutes, Klaus turned his head, seeing the Earl at the door. He was clearly surprised to see him. "You're back."

"Yes. You sound surprised."

"You're very quiet."

Eroica closed his eyes and fought to stay in control of himself. "I promised Jason I wouldn't upset you."

"Really?" Klaus gave the Earl a searching look. _**Now** you decide to behave yourself._

"Don't look at me like that!" Eroica exclaimed, turning away from the officer's piercing gaze. _Dear God, don't make me want to hold you!_

Klaus could not help but smile at this. "I think I'm supposed to say that."

Eroica turned back to face him, a stray tear staining his cheek. "Oh, Major!" He could not say more and turned away again, struggling to get hold of himself once more.

Klaus merely sighed heavily. He simply did not have the strength for this anymore and closed his eyes.

Jason returned after several minutes. He took in the scene a moment before cautiously asking, "Have you two been behaving yourselves while I was gone?"

Klaus gave a snort but did not reply.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jason remarked. "We've arrived in my time zone," he announced. He crossed to a cabinet and started pulling linens from it. "I need to get you ready to be moved, Klaus."

Eroica cleared his throat nervously. "I know how this is going to sound, but is there anything I can do to help?"

Jason turned to face him, hearing Klaus respond with a low growl. "Yes, as a matter of fact, there is something you can do." He gave the Major a quelling look before any protests could be issued, being unaware of the fact that the officer lacked the strength to issue any.

Jason went to another cabinet and pulled out a small box, placing it on the counter. "The transmat will be reconstructing Klaus exactly as he was when he stepping into it. The more things he takes with him that he had at the time the better." He pulled out another, larger box that had the Major's jacket neatly folded on the top. Underneath were the shredded remnants of the clothing he had been wearing when attacked.

Eroica looked at the torn and bloodied material and felt ill, a hand going to his mouth. _Oh, dear Lord, I don't think I can do this. _Suddenly Jason was squeezing his arm.

"I need you to empty the pockets and put everything into that box for me," Jason said gently.

Eroica swallowed hard and nodded. "Alright," he managed to croak out.

Jason gave him a sympathetic look before returning to the Major's bedside. "Now, let's get you sorted out."

Klaus gave the Alterran an unfocused look. "If I'm on full life support, how are you gonna manage this?"

"Ah." Jason grinned. "I'm going to use a portable life support system. It only has minimal functions, so you'll feel a lot weaker than you do now."

"I don't think that's possible," came the sardonic reply.

Jason smiled briefly. "I'm going to revert to get you ready. I work much faster that way." His only reply was a resigned sigh. "Um...you may pass out when I move you."

Klaus gave the Alterran a suspicious look. "Why?"

"Because you're not exactly in peak health, are you? And you have been on your back for a while. Even if you don't pass out, you'll probably be very dizzy."

Before Klaus could think of a suitable reply, Jason was in his true form and moving him into a sitting position. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he gave a low groan, being determined to stay conscious no matter what. This was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.

Eroica tried to ignore what was happening behind him. He heard the Major groan and closed his eyes. _Just concentrate on what you're doing,_ he told himself. He had emptied all the jacket pockets and was caressing what remained of the Major's trousers. He tried to push his lecherous thoughts out of his mind as he reached into the pockets. The last object he retrieved was the TARDIS key that Jason had give the Major what seemed like weeks ago. _Should this go into the box?_

Eroica turned to asked Jason what to do and froze, his eye growing wide as saucers. It wasn't because Jason was in his true form. He fully expected that. It was because the Alterran was holding the Major's naked form above the bed and was in the process of dressing him in a pair of cotton pajamas.

Eroica was so stunned by what he saw that he immediately forgot why he had turned, the key dropping from his hand and into the box. He let out a small gasp, a hand going to his mouth. He also started to have some very interesting sensations below his waist.

Jason realized his error much too late. He should have been doing this on the opposite side of the bed. Instead, he was giving Dorian a first rate view. He finished the job of dressing his unconscious patient before laying him on a clean blanket, which he then wrapped around him. A moment later, he was back in his human form, his eyes locked with the awestruck Earl. "You will not, under any circumstances, tell him what just happened," Jason stated categorically.

Eroica found he could not speak and just nodded. _All those years of sneaking around and it happens by accident! My God, he's magnificent! Bruises and all, absolutely-_

"Have you finished?" Jason asked sharply, bringing the Earl back to reality.

"Yes." _Thank God, I can talk again. Just don't ask me to walk._

"Good. You carry the box, I'll carry the Major."

_Shit!_


	31. Desperate Measures

**CHAPTER THIRTY**

**DESPERATE MEASURES**

**Transmat 12  
Gorbachev Complex  
Moscow, Russia  
November 2620**

The TARDIS had materialized just outside Transmat Room 12, much to the Doctor's delight and Jason's amazement. The Doctor double-checked the readings before pulling the door lever and leading the way out. Eroica threw a worried look in the Major's direction before following.

Jason had returned to his true form to carrying the officer to the console room, Klaus having returned to his senses during the journey from the sickbay. Jason double-checked his patient's status and the portable life support system attached to the blankets he was swaddled in before finally following the others.

The Doctor was standing before the door to the transmat room, Eroica beside him, when Jason finally exited the TARDIS with his precious cargo. Turlough remained behind to monitor the instruments, and, supposedly, to rest.

Just as Jason came up to the others, he felt a very strange sensation wash over him and actually faltered. The Major felt the Alterran's grip on him slacken for a split second before it tightened again.

"You're not gonna drop me, I hope," Klaus said weakly. He, too, had felt a strange rush of energy but was more concerned with the Alterran carrying him. He scarcely had the strength to keep his eyes open. The last thing he needed was to be dropped to the floor.

"I'm alright now," Jason replied.

"What happened?" the Doctor practically demanded.

"I don't know," came the confused reply. "It's as if...time went out of joint for a second."

The Doctor gave Eroica a steady look. "See if Turlough picked up anything."

Eroica nodded and dashed back to the TARDIS, re-emerging a moment later. "He says there was a brief time spike, whatever that means."

The Doctor frowned. "It could be from the time corridor," he said thoughtfully.

"Doctor, can we worry about this later," Jason broke in. "The portable life support unit only has a limited battery life."

The Doctor nodded, opening the door to the transmat room. He crossed to the controls while Jason went straight to the booth.

"Well, that explains it," the Time Lord remarked, looking up. "According to this, you've only just left. You must've felt the time differential."

"That might explain why I passed out at the other end, too," Jason replied. He carefully placed the Major in a sitting position on the floor before returning to his human form. He went on to check his patient's condition once again. Klaus was deteriorating rapidly. "How are you holding up?" he asked quietly.

"About as well as the battery on this thing," Klaus replied weakly, indicating the life support box.

Jason gave him a small smile, rewrapping him in his blankets.

"Jason, I think we may have a problem," the Doctor said suddenly. "The three of you went through at once. The TARDIS can exclude _your_ DNA from the buffer because of its silicon based composition. But it won't be able to separate the others."

Jason cursed under his breath.

Dorian looked from one to another. "What does that mean?"

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a knowing look. "It means," the Time Lord replied calmly, "that either you both go through, or neither of you does."

"You mean…the only way to save the Major is for me to go with him?" Eroica replied.

"That's it in a nutshell, yes."

"No." This was Klaus, who surprised even himself with his vehement tone.

"Major…"

"_Nein._ You're a civilian. This has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me if your death starts World War Three?"

The Major snorted. "I'm not that important."

"_No?_ I didn't sit around the whole time I was recovering," Eroica informed startlingly. "I talked to Turlough about a few things. The TARDIS has a very interesting historical archive. Did you know that?"

The Doctor stiffened visibly upon hearing this and Jason threw a surprised look in the Time Lord's direction. _Oh, no…Turlough, what did you do?_

"You don't think," Eroica was saying, "that every NATO country will take exception to your being _murdered_ by the KGB after the General Secretary of the Communist Party guaranteed your safety in order to get you into the country?"

Klaus closed his eyes. "Lord Gloria…"

"No! Dammit, no." Eroica squared his shoulders and crossed to the transmat booth. "I'm not gonna just let you die, Major," he said forcefully. "Not if I can do something to prevent it."

"You know what will happen if this doesn't work," the Doctor pointed out.

"I'd rather die with him than live without him."

The Major groaned and rolled his eyes. "You idiot—"

Jason chose that moment to intercede. "Dorian, are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Eroica turned his gaze to the Major, meeting his disapproving gaze. "There are things that _**I**_ don't want to remember, either." _And things that I **do**, but you have to take the rough with the smooth._

Klaus drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. Of course. _**Now** the truth comes out. And I foolishly thought he was being selfless._

"Alright," Jason said calmly. "There isn't a lot of room in here, so you'll have to support him." He stopped the protests that he could see forming on Major's face with a quelling look. "Klaus, we don't have time for this," he said firmly. He waved a hand, indicating where Eroica should sit, taking the box full of the Major's belonging from his hand and placing it on the officer's lap. Then he leaned the Major back against the Earl.

A small snarl of protest escaped the Major as Eroica snuggled up against him. _Dammit! He's gonna push this to the limit. _Klaus clenched his teeth as the Earl gave a delighted sigh as he put an arm around him to keep him upright. Damn the fact he didn't have the strength to sit up on his own.

"Oh, you should probably have this," Jason said, holding out the Major's Magnum. It was still in its holster and Eroica took it, placing it in the box, inwardly praying the officer didn't have the strength to fire it. "How long will all this take?" he asked.

It was the Doctor who replied. "Five minutes, give or take." Then to Jason, he said, "Go to the TARDIS and make sure we're properly tied into the transmat controls. I'll feed the information from the buffer to you. So long as the old girl has a sample of your DNA, she should be able to filter it out and send the corrected pattern back here."

Jason nodded and shut the door to the transmat, making certain it was latched before leaving.

Eroica closed his eyes and drew a deep breath, leaning back against the clear wall of the interior.

Once Klaus got over his annoyance at having to be at such close proximity to the Earl, he realized the man was shaking. "You're afraid," he observed.

Eroica jumped when the Major spoke. His tone was calm and quiet. He looked down, seeing a strange searching look in the officer's green eyes. "Of course I'm afraid. I'm bloody terrified."

"But you're doing this anyway. It can't just be to forget what happened. And don't tell me it's for any noble cause, either."

"You're right, it isn't."

"Well…?"

"You _know_ why, you idiot German. It's because I love you!" Eroica snapped. "The world wouldn't be bearable without you in it."

Klaus sighed heavily. "Lord Gloria…"

"Yes, yes, I know," Eroica snapped. "It's foppish nonsense, and you hate me."

A pause.

"I don't hate you."

Eroica blinked. "What?"

"Not after what you did at the bridge.(8) I couldn't get mad at you then. And…I can't seem to hate you anymore, either. God knows I've tried."  
(8) Emperor Waltz

Eroica's mouth dropped open.

"You were right. I did tell them I was a friend," Klaus went on. "You're real pro. I admire you for that."

"Who are you? And what have you done with the real Iron Klaus?" Eroica demanded. To his amazement, Klaus actually smiled. _Smiled!_ "This is a hell of a time to tell me all this." He looked up, as Jason returned to the room. When he looked down again, he saw a very strange look in the Major's eyes. "Maj—_Klaus, _why are you telling me this _now?_"

"Because in five minutes, we'll either be dead, or we won't remember any of it."

Eroica blinked. Then he felt himself getting angry. "You bastard."

Suddenly Jason's voice came through a speaker in the ceiling of the booth. "If you two can stop arguing for a minute," he said calmly, "we're ready to try this."

Eroica felt the officer's body relax in his grasp and looked down. The Major had leaned back and closed his eyes, preparing himself for whatever lay in store. "So, we won't remember?"

"No," Klaus replied without opening his eyes.

"None of it?"

"Jason explained that. We won't remember anything that took place after we arrived at the Lubyanka with him."

The booth started to hum and Eroica gave a small sigh. "Then you won't remember that I saw you naked."

The Major's eyes snapped open. "_Was?_"

"Wherever did you get that scar on your hip?"

Klaus made a small strangled noise.

"And you won't remember this." So saying Eroica leaned down, gently cupped the Major's chin in one hand, and kissed him on the mouth.

Klaus was too stunned to even move. He stared into Dorian's face, having no idea what to do. And even if he did, he lacked the strength to carry it out. So he just lay there, allowing another man…no, not just another man. Allowing the Earl—Eroica—_Dorian_—Dammit! He was kissing him!

Dorian sat back, a look of triumph on his face. "My darling Klaus, you are wonderful!"

A split second later, the pair faded from sight.

Jason stood staring with his mouth agape. He turned back to look at the equally shocked Doctor. "If this doesn't work, and they remember what happened, I've a feeling the Major will be using that gun I gave him."


	32. Rewind

**CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE**

**REWIND**

The transmat booth started to hum again, bringing the Doctor out of his daze. He looked down at the controls, making several adjustments. An alarm sounded and he gave Jason an inquiring look. "Well? Shall I override the weapons safety, do you think?"

"Might as well."

The Doctor silenced the alarm and then hit the final switch. "Here goes," he said and looked up expectantly.

Jason turned back to the booth, a satisfied smile coming to his face when Dorian and Klaus— _No, not Klaus,_ he told himself. _He's not your patient any more._ The figure that was materializing didn't have a bruise anywhere. He was also quite unconscious, as was Dorian, who was lying over the top of him.

Jason pulled open the door and removed his friends from the cramped interior of the transmat booth. He laid them out on the floor and then checked them over, the grin on his face widening as he verified that they had come through with flying colors. "Success, Doctor," he said happily.

Jason heard a low moan and turned just in time to see the Major's green eyes snapping open. He watched in fascination as the officer repeated his initial arrival at the Lubyanka. His body tensed and he looked around, getting his bearings before turning his intense gaze upward.

"Was ist los?" Klaus asked, switching back to English with his next sentence. "Is this the Lubyanka?"

"No."

The Major sat up slowly, and hand going to his spinning head. "No?"

"You've been there and back again, Major," Jason said calmly.

Before the Major could issue any kind of reply, Eroica gave a low groan and opened his eyes, a hand going to his head. "That was bloody awful," he moaned.

"Don't start whining," the Major snapped impatiently as he stood up.

Eroica sat up slowly. "Don't start with me, Major. I'm too hungover."

"Well, they _sound_ normal, at any rate," the Doctor remarked. He received an astonished look from Eroica. "Bloody hell!"

The Major's reaction was more forthright. He spun around, his gun in his hand in a blink. Jason was instantly beside him. "No!" he said sharply, grabbing the officer's wrist with both hands and pointing the weapon at the ceiling. "He's a friend." It was the most powerful grip Klaus had ever encountered and he gave the Alterran a stunned look.

"Where did he come from?" the Major demanded.

"Gallifrey," Jason replied sardonically, releasing his hold on the officer's arm. "This is the Doctor."

"Pull the other one," the Earl said as he got to his feet.

"I shouldn't've overridden the weapons safety," the Doctor said aridly. "That's the second time you've pointed a gun at me, Major."

"Third, actually," Jason corrected. "There was that time in Iceland."

"Oh, yes. I'd forgotten that."

The Major threw a baffled look in Eroica's direction. "We've materialized in a lunatic asylum."

The Doctor put his hand to his chin and leaned on the console. "It occurs to me, Jason, that we overlooked how we're going to explain all this."

Jason threw quick glance over at his bewildered friends and nodded. That they had. "I think we'd be better served to do this in the TARDIS," he said mildly.

"Do _what_ in the TARDIS?" the Major asked suspiciously.

Jason drew a deep breath. "Explain how the Doctor just saved your life."

* * *

The Doctor led the way into the TARDIS console room, the others trailing behind. Turlough was in one of the chairs and cocked his head to one side as the visibly restored Major passed through the doors. "Success, I see."

The Major's eyes narrowed and the young man stiffened visibly. "You're not going to hold a gun to my head again, are you, Major?" Turlough asked.

Eroica gave the Major an amused sideways glance. "Did you hold a gun on everyone, Major?" he teased.

"How the hell should I know," Klaus growled back. "I haven't held one on you yet, have I?"

"Not today."

The Doctor waved a hand in his companion's direction. "Since we're starting from scratch," he began calmly. "This is my traveling companion, Turlough."

"And…we've already met him?" Eroica replied, giving the boy an appraising look.

"Down boy," Jason admonished playfully. "Turlough's still mending."

"I think you two better have a seat," the Doctor suggested, holding out a hand. "This may take a while."

* * *

Taking "a while" was an understatement, as it turned out. It was several hours before everything was explained to the dumbfounded Major and Eroica. Then the theories concerning the creature were presented. The Major was, as usual, skeptical, but he could not deny that the notations on several documents were in his own handwriting.

"I don't see why you haven't just laid a trap at the transmat," Eroica observed suddenly.

The Doctor turned to him in surprise. "What? Why do you say that?"

"Because it's obviously its base of operation."

The Major's eyebrows went up. "Obvious to you, perhaps."

Eroica gave him a steady look. "Unlike myself, most thieves operate in an area that they're familiar with. So if something goes wrong, they can retreat to safety quickly."

"A comfort zone."

Eroica nodded, looking down at the map that was laid out on the control room floor. It was of the level of the Lubyanka that the creature had been sighted on, red X's in the areas where it had been seen. "What's the scale of this?" he asked, getting down on his knees.

The Doctor told him and then watched in fascination as the Earl took a ruler and made some quick measurements. Then he looked up. "Do you have a pin and a pen or pencil?"

The Doctor exchanged a bewildered look with the others. "Will a thumb tack do?"

"Lovely." The Earl took the tack and pencil offered by the Doctor. He then fixed one end of the ruler to the floor and put the point of the pencil into a hole at one point in the ruler. In a few seconds, he had a perfect circle on the map containing all the red X's.

The Major threw an astonished look over in Jason's direction. He, in turn, looked over at the Doctor in amazement.

"What did you use as the center?" Turlough asked.

Eroica looked up, a brilliant smile on his face. "The transmat room."

"My…God…" Jason breathed.

"It never goes further than this point, and it doesn't go to different levels. So, it either can't go any further away, or it won't leave its comfort zone."

The Doctor stood marveling at the Earl a moment before looking over at his companion. "What did the computer come up with?"

Turlough went to the console and touched a button, turning to the scanner as the results were displayed. The map that came up was almost identical to the one on the floor.

The Doctor and Jason exchanged a look of mutual astonishment. "I think I'm losing my touch," the Time Lord remarked.

Jason could not help but smile at this.

"Dorian, I'm sorry I didn't show you this before," the Doctor said as he came to stand in front of the map. "That's absolutely brilliant. I don't know why none of us thought of it sooner."

"It's because none of us thinks like a thief," the Major replied matter of factly.

Jason gave the officer a sideways glance. _Was that an actual compliment, Major?_ "Okay, we know where it is…maybe," he said mildly. "How do we trap it?"

* * *

**The Lubyanka  
Moscow, Soviet Union  
August 1987**

The TARDIS materialized back at its original position and the Doctor led the way out the door. Once again, they left the recovering Turlough in the console room.

"I'm not entirely sure what we'll be looking for," the Doctor said as he led the way to the prototype transmat room. "I dismantled the console."

"When?" Jason wanted to know.

The Doctor looked back at him. "When Dorian was hurt."

Eroica exchanged a glance with the Major, who shrugged. "I'm beginning to suspect I should be glad I don't remember any of this."

The Doctor pushed open the door. "Let's just say you're better off not knowing," he said as he entered the room.

As soon as the group was in the room, the door slammed shut, apparently on its own.

"What the hell…?" Jason gasped.

"Perhaps I can enlighten the Earl…" a voice purred from across the room.

To the astonishment of them all, the creature was standing beside the transmat booth in its Borodin guise.

"Step into my parlor, is it?" the Doctor remarked aridly.

Borodin gave him an evil smile. "Funny you should say that, Doctor…"

Jason took a step forward. "Why?" he demanded.

"Back off, sunshine," Borodin snarled.

The Doctor held out an arm, stopping the Alterran's progress. "Look, what do you want?" he asked. "If it's to get off of Earth, I can help you."

"You want to help me?"

"Of course."

Borodin's eyes narrowed, a sly smile coming to his face. "Really?"

"Don't trust him," the Major said warningly.

"Why? Because I'm KGB, Major?"

"No, because you're a lying son-of-a-bitch," came the succinct reply.

The Doctor threw a long suffering look in the officer's direction. "Major, you're not helping."

"Just one thing, Doctor," Borodin said mildly.

"What's that?"

The alien suddenly came forward, taking the Time Lord by the arm. "The Major is right." So saying, they promptly vanished.

"Doctor!" Jason screamed. Then he cursed in several languages, slamming a fist against the wall and making a sizeable dent.

"Dammit!" the Major snarled, adding to the Alterran's stream of expletives.

Eroica, on the other hand, had his eyes on the booth. "Jason, should that thing be glowing like that?"

Jason spun around, seeing what he meant. Then he heard the unmistakable whine of a power build up. "He's set it to overload!" he cried.

"What does that mean?"

"It means it's going to explode!"

Klaus was already at the door, but it would not budge. "It's locked us in!"

The noise of the power build up grew steadily louder until it was almost deafening.

"Get down!" Jason screamed.

Klaus grabbed the Earl and thrust him against the wall. "Get down and cover your head," he ordered.

Jason came up behind them. "Major, you get down, too. I can protect you both!" he shouted over the noise.

"How?"

"There's no time, just do it!" Jason gave the officer a shove. His body shimmered as he transmuted, becoming a shield that surrounded his friends. A few seconds later, the room was shaken by a colossal explosion. It put a sizeable hole in the walls and ceiling, and sent debris flying everywhere.

"Don't move, you two," Jason instructed as the debris continued to fall. After a minute, and once he was satisfied there would not be another explosion, he returned to his human form and took a step back. He gave an amused smile as he took in his friends' positions. Dorian was crouched against the wall, his arms over his head. The Major was on top of him, shielding him with his body. _Oh yeah, you don't care if he lives or dies, do you, Major? Who do you think you're fooling?_

"I think it's safe to get up now," Jason said mildly, kicking the debris at his feet. He turned back, taking in the devastation.

The Major stood up and looked around in amazement. "Mein Gott," he said in a small voice. He gave Jason a stunned look. "How did you protect us from _this?_"

Jason gave a self-conscious smile. "I can change into all kinds of things, Major."

Eroica hugged himself. "Now what do we do?" he asked helplessly. "No alien. And now, no Doctor."

"First, we get out of here," Jason replied. He pulled at the door, which still refused to budge.

"Brute force?" Eroica asked mildly.

Jason threw him a sideways glance. "Brute force," he concurred. He pulled the knob off completely and then put his hand into the hole, ripping the door from its frame. "I wish I could say that made me feel better," he said as he dropped the door to the floor among the rest of the rubble. Then he led the way out of the room.


	33. An Impossible Search

**CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO**

**AN IMPOSSIBLE SEARCH**

**Temporal Vortex  
Where Time And Space Collide**

Jason stood leaning on the TARDIS control console, his eyes moving from the controls to the scanner and back. "Come on, old girl," he whispered encouragingly. "You can find him."

Turlough threw an apprehensive look over at the Major and Eroica, seeing they looked equally dubious. He turned back to the Alterran and said calmly, "Jason, it's a very big universe out there."

"If the Doctor can find the TARDIS anywhere, she should be able to find him," Jason replied logically, his hands manipulating the controls. "They're telepathically linked." He did not even look up as he spoke, and hoped his voice sounded more convinced than he was himself. It wasn't just the universe. It was all of time and space that had to be searched.

A deafening silence followed.

Then the TARDIS gave a sudden lurch. A moment later, the room was filled with the sound of materialization.

"Well, we've arrived somewhere," Jason remarked aridly. The image on the scanner was one of chaos. He adjusted the controls and the scanner slowly cleared to a solid image. An image that cause them all to stare in a horrified silence.

They appeared to have materialized in a large room. The far wall looked like it was made of a rubberized substance and had an enormous gash in it out of which was attempting to slither what could only be described as a gigantic red slug. There was a humanoid creature working at a terminal nearby that Jason suddenly realized was the alien they had been chasing. If this weren't horrific enough, closer to the TARDIS was a platform with a chair in the center. It was enclosed on three sides, the front having a forcefield of some sort across it. Strapped to the chair, and with an appalling amount of hardware attached to him, was the Doctor.

"Mein Gott," the Major said in a horrified whisper, finally breaking the silence.

"We've got to get him out of there," Jason said with much more conviction than he felt, and quite unnecessarily, Klaus thought as he turned to him in amazement. "You have a plan?"

The Alterran's eyes did not move from the screen. He shook his head helplessly. "I have no idea. I just—" He broke off, turning back to the control console. "Maybe the Doctor knows what to do."

Turlough gave him a shocked look. "Jason, you're not planning on going out there and asking him, I hope!"

Jason looked up sharply. "No. I'm trying to be serious." He looked down at the console again, shifting position to stand in front of another panel. "That creature still may not know I'm telepathic."

Eroica exchanged a look of mutual bewilderment with the Major. "_And…_" the thief prompted.

"And…" Jason replied as he placed his hands on two disks, "I might be able to communicate with the Doctor."

"You know he'll just tell you to stay in the TARDIS," Turlough said knowingly.

"Yes. And he knows I won't. So we'll get that out of the way and then get down to finding a solution to this mess." Jason drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Just pray this works," he added before going completely still.

* * *

When the TARDIS suddenly materialized out of nowhere, the Doctor feared the creature had actually been able to make good on its threat to bring the time machine there itself. After several minutes passed and no one appeared, however, he relaxed. Obviously, the creature could not control those _inside,_ as it had hoped.

"_Doctor…?_"

The Doctor scowled when the phantom voice suddenly sounded in his head. He thought he had been able to keep his mind shielded from his captor.

"_Doctor? Can you hear me?_" the voice said, growing louder with each word.

_Now what?_ the Doctor thought darkly.

"_Good. You **can** hear me! _"

The Doctor recognized Jason's delighted voice a split second before the Alterran went on to say, "Doctor, it's Jason. And before you ask, I'm using the TARDIS telepathy circuits to contact you."

The Time Lord frowned, throwing a quick glance in the direction of his captor. The alien creature was still busying himself at the equipment and seemed oblivious to Jason's telepathic presence. "_What are you lot planning?_" he practically demanded.

"_Nothing as yet. _"

"_Good. Keep it that way._"

"_Doctor, I'm not going away. And I'm not staying in the TARDIS forever,_" Jason said firmly. "_I'm coming out there._"

"_Jason, you don't even know what this thing is after._"

"_I am aware of that, Doctor. Why do you think I'm contacting you?_"

The Doctor closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. He did not have the energy for an argument, telepathic or otherwise.

"_Are you alright?_" Jason asked suddenly. "_You look exhausted._"

"_I've been better._"

Jason felt his temper flare and fought to control himself. "_Doctor, just give me a quick rundown. If I can't handle it, I'll call the Time Lords._"

"_You might not be able to._"

"_Fine. If this turns out to be hopeless, I'll hit the button that must never be pressed and seal off this section of the vortex._"

The Doctor's eyes snapped open upon hearing this. Clearly, Jason knew more about the severity of the situation than he had given him credit. He drew another deep breath and then concentrated his thoughts, telling his former companion what he could of the alien's plans.

* * *

While Jason carried on his telepathic conversation, the others waited impatiently for the verdict.

"This is getting us nowhere," the Major growled, throwing his hands in the air.

"Major, you can't possibly think we're prepared to handle this," Eroica objected.

"Did I say that we were?" Klaus snapped back.

Eroica flinched. "No. I just—"

"What? You thought I'd just go charging out there with no plan?"

"Well, yes. That _is_ what you do."

The Major's eyes narrowed. "Let me tell you something you may not realize, Lord Gloria. In a dangerous situation, I _think_ before I act."

"I'm very glad to hear that, Major."

Klaus actually jumped when Jason suddenly spoke and he turned sharply to face him.

"The last thing we need is to go charging off without a plan," Jason said calmly.

"And you have one, I take it?"

"Of a sort. According to the Doctor, our unfriendly alien out there has been working for, or with, that…slug thing that is presently trying to get through a weak spot in the vortex. That's what the TARDIS hit when we landed. A kind of…crack in space/time."

"So…why does it want the Doctor?" Turlough wanted to know.

"Believe it or not, it wants complete control over Time."

"What? Using the TARDIS, you mean?"

"No. It wants to physically control time."

Turlough blinked. This was the last thing he expected to hear. "That's impossible, even for a Time Lord."

"You know that. And _**I**_ know that. But try talking logic with a megalomaniac," Jason replied calmly. "Apparently the alien is helping it because of the terror that will cause."

Turlough glanced over at the screen and shuddered. "That makes sense. It scares the hell out of me."

"Hear, hear," Eroica replied.

Jason silently agreed before going on. "It's draining the Doctor's life force," he said darkly. He looked over to the image on the viewer and added, "If we don't get him out of there, he'll die."

"How do we get him out?" the Major asked practically.

Jason gave a small smile. "I'm going to create a diversion so you can take that cannon you're carrying and blow a hole in the computer right…there." He indicated the machinery on the scanner screen. "That should confuse things enough so that Dorian can get the Doctor out."

Eroica's eyebrows went up. "Me?"

"You're the best thief in the business. I want you to steal the Doctor back."

"How? He's inside a box with a forcefield in front of it."

"The Doctor believes it's an exclusion field."

"A what?"

Jason gave a small smile before explaining what he meant. He then asked, "You still have that pocket dimension the Doctor gave you, don't you?"

"Why? What good will that do me?"

"If you hide in it, I can toss it through the exclusion field. That thing will think I'm just trying to annoy it and shut off the alarms, leaving _you_ safely inside the containment grid. You'll be protected against anything that system has to throw at you while you're in there."

Eroica pulled out the pocket dimension and gave it a dubious look. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Don't forget, insides and outsides are in different dimensions. The exclusion field filters out DNA." Jason tapped the pouch. "_This_ isn't organic. No DNA."

Eroica looked less than convinced. "And how do I get out again? I can't exactly throw myself through while I'm inside."

Jason's eyebrows went up. This was a valid point that had not occurred to him. He reached into a pocket, pulling out a length of string, which he attached to the pouch. "There. If the security grid is still operational, the Major can pull you and the Doctor out using this."

"The Major?" Eroica looked over at the equally startled officer.

"Yes. I've a feeling I'm going to be a tad busy by then."

"Why don't I just put a bullet into that slug instead?" the Major asked bluntly. "It would be easier."

Jason cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm sure it would be," he replied mildly. "But we're inside a pocket of reality inside the vortex, Major. That slug whatever-it-is has created a small haven inside that…chaos so it can squeeze itself through. I don't know how it's keeping it stable. And neither does the Doctor."

"In other words," Eroica added mildly, "don't shoot it until we're all back in the TARDIS, right?"

Jason could not help but smile at this. "Right."

"I'll keep it in mind," the Major replied soberly. He looked at Eroica and frowned. "What are you waiting for?" he snapped impatiently. "Get in."

"Major, I've been inside this thing before," Eroica replied nervously. "It's…enormous. I need something to loop over this button or I'll never find my way out again."

The Major looked into the pouch, his eyes widening. Enormous did not even begin to describe the interior. "What did you use before?" he asked, looking up.

"The chain on K-9's dog whistle."

"Here." Jason took his TARDIS key by the chain and held it out. "Use this. Just don't lose it."

"Or steal it," the Major rejoined as the thief took the key.

Eroica gave the officer a disapproving look. "Major…"

"Shut up and get in. We're wasting time."

"And what do I do during all this?" Turlough asked practically.

Jason gave him a steady look. "You have the most important job of all."

Turlough scowled. "What? Hiding in here?"

"No. Making sure that thing doesn't get into the TARDIS. Once we're all out there, lock the doors. And if things go wrong…" Jason made an entry into the computer and then leaned down, indicated a small red button on the underside of the console. "Hit that."

Turlough looked at the button and frowned. _Why don't I like the look of that?_

"What will that do?" the Major asked.

"It will summon the Time Lords," the Alterran announced. "They're very protective when it comes to the power over Time. That's why they got the Doctor involved in all this. Hitting that button means we've failed."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but then what happens?" Eroica asked hesitantly.

"They'll seal off the tear in space/time and sterilize this portion of the vortex."

"_What?_ With us in it?"

"Yes, with us in it. Us and that creature out there," Jason stated flatly. "The Doctor is a Time Lord. He'll let that thing kill him rather than reveal the secrets of time travel." He turned to Turlough, adding seriously, "He'll prevent himself regenerating if he believes that's what it'll take. I'm not willing to let that happen."

"Jason…" Turlough said in a frightened voice.

Jason met his gaze levelly. "I'm trusting you on this one, Turlough," he said firmly, having no idea how powerful these few words were.

_Trusting me!_ Turlough thought, feeling his heart miss a beat. _Oh, hell. Finally, somebody's trusting me. Why did it have to be in this?_

"Jason, I…don't know if I can do that."

"Then we'd better not fail," the Major stated practically. He pulled out his gun, gave it a quick once over, and holstered it again.

"Always so stoic," Eroica observed admiringly.

The Major saw a familiar amorous look creeping into the Earl's eyes. "Keep your mind on your work, you bloody pervert. Now, get in." He looked inside the pouch one more time before holding it out. When he looked up, his eyes locked with Eroica's.

The Earl was momentarily stunned when he realized there was no anger or malice in the dark, green eyes looking at him. _Is that admiration, Major? I'll make you proud of me. Just you watch._ He looped the chain from Jason's TARDIS key over the button, going on to make certain he had a firm grip on it. "How will I know when it's safe to come out?" he asked practically.

"I'll signal you," the Major replied. He watched in fascination as Eroica's tall form vanished into the tiny pouch. "That's a good place for you, thief."

"I heard that, Major!"

"Good. Then you'll hear my signal." The Major looked over at Jason just in time to see an odd expression pass over his face. "What are you planning on doing as a diversion?"

Jason met the officer's inquiring gaze and then took the pocket dimension from his hand. "To be honest, Major. I haven't the faintest idea."


	34. Power Play

**CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE**

**POWER PLAY**

Turlough's mouth dropped open. "What?" he gasped, certain he had just gone mad. "You're just going to march out there with no plan at all?"

"I'm taking a page from the Doctor's book and improvising," Jason replied calmly. "I just have to keep its attention until Dorian and the Major can get the Doctor safely back to the TARDIS."

"Jason, that's suicide!"

"I'm rather hoping it won't get that far."

"Jason!"

"_Turlough, _" Jason snapped, "the Doctor is more important than I am."

"I doubt he would agree," the Major said sharply. "Everyone in this room owes you their lives at least twice over, myself included."

"And everyone on your planet owes the Doctor their lives several times over," Jason retorted. "Believe me, Major, the Doctor is far more important than I am. That's why we have got to get him out of there."

Before anyone could object further, Jason pulled the door lever and strode out the exterior doors.

* * *

Jason expected someone to sense his presence the instant he exited the TARDIS. To his surprise, the alien continued to work at the equipment, its back towards him, and the slug seemed oblivious. He drew a deep breath, throwing a quick glance in the Doctor's direction.

The only thing that moved were the Time Lord's eyes. Obviously, _he_ was aware of the Alterran's presence. The rest of his body, however, was either completely paralyzed by the equipment, or too weak to move.

Jason could feel his anger rising, but unlike the hundreds of other times when this happened, he did not attempt to control it. If he allowed himself to lose his temper, his energy level would soar. Perhaps it would cause his psychic energy level to rise to a point that the creature finally became aware of him. He moved slowly forward, making certain to stay slightly to one side so the Major would have a clear shot when he came out.

The alien finally turned to face him. "Well, if it isn't the Prince come to save his friend," he sneered. "What are you going to threaten me with this time?"

"Only myself." Jason carelessly tossed the pocket dimension at the Doctor's feet. The security grid came to life, triggering a cacophony of alarms. "Oops."

The creature gave a low growl.

"Perhaps I should threaten you with…annihilation. How's that sound?" Jason replied coldly.

The creature gave him a quizzical look before it burst out laughing. Then it turned to silence the alarms, oblivious to the threat the Alterran posed.

_Good, you keep thinking I'm nobody important,_ Jason thought before calling out, "Major!"

Klaus was out of the TARDIS the instant the Alterran called, gun in hand. He crossed to stand in front of the Doctor and leveled his weapon at the computer. He heard the alien snarl a split second before he realized that he could not move.

Jason waited for the weapon to explode behind him and finally looked back at the officer in disbelief. _Surely, **he's** not having second thoughts?_ "Major, fire!"

Klaus had to force the words from his mouth. "I…can't…move!"

Jason turned a horrified look in the alien's direction, seeing a smug expression on its face. "Dammit!"

"Humans are so predictable," the creature said dismissively.

"I'm not human, you moron!"

"I know. I've been waiting for you, Alterran," the creature replied. "That's what you're called isn't it? Alterran?"

Jason's eyes narrowed.

"Major Eberbach's mind is filled with fascinating images of you…changing. You have enormous power." The creature turned to the paralyzed officer. "He fears you," he said smugly. Then an odd look came to his face and he turned his gaze to the Doctor. "No… It's the Time Lord who fears…" He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. "Magnificent!"

"What?" Jason turned a horrified look in the Doctor's direction. This made more sense then he cared to admit. _Are you **still** afraid of me, Doctor? Or afraid **for** me?_ "Oh, God…" He spun around, his eyes wide. "You lured us here. Why?"

"Power. The Doctor has power over Time. And you have…_power._" The alien reached up a hand in the Alterran's direction.

Jason felt a sudden drain on his energy reserves and immediately threw a forcefield around himself. He saw a bewildered expression come to the alien's face when this happened. It had no way of knowing that he was one of the rare individuals who were in "the First Circle," meaning he could combine the power of his true self with whatever form he happened to be in.

The alien gave a low hiss. It turned to the computer behind it and twisted a dial. The same instant, the Doctor gave a cry of pain and pulled at his bindings.

"What are you doing?" Jason demanded.

The alien gave him an innocent look. "Just finishing one job so I can start the next one."

"The job of killing the Doctor," Jason completed. He could feel his anger rising with each passing second. His body was already trembling, his breathing getting faster and faster.

"When I've done with him, I'll start on the Major again."

That was the last straw. Jason let out an enraged scream. "No, you won't, you bastard!" A ball of energy suddenly appeared above his right hand. "I will _not_ allow you to harm my friends again!" He threw the energy ball full force at the alien, knocking him backwards and breaking its hold on the Major.

"Klaus! Now!"

The Major did not need to be told twice. The Magnum exploded in his hand. He had to shield his eyes from the explosion that followed, backing away from the flames that erupted from the destroyed panel. He turned to the exhausted Time Lord, who was now slumped in his chair. Whatever he had just blown up had stopped the Doctor's torment.

"Eroica, come out!" the Major called.

A mass of blond curls appeared from the pouch. "What took so bloody long?"

"Shut up and get to work. There isn't much time."

"Is the grid still up?" Eroica asked as he extracted himself from the impossibly small sack and got to his feet.

"Yes."

Eroica looked in Jason's direction and was stunned by what he saw. Diversion, indeed. The Alterran was surrounded by a bright blue glow, as was the alien. The two were hurling energy balls at one another. _Just hold him off a few more minutes, _he thought as he turned his attention to the Doctor. "Let's get you out of this thing," he said gently.

The Doctor gave Eroica an unfocused look. "Tell the Major to target the power source," he said weakly. "It will deactivate this whole system."

Eroica scowled. "Where is it?"

"Over there." The Doctor glanced in the direction of the power source. "The gray box on the floor."

"I heard," the Major said and promptly fired a round into the box, turning it to so many fragments.

Eroica, in the meantime, was removing the Doctor's bindings. The Major crossed the short distance to assist in releasing the Time Lord. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Major, I doubt I can even stand," the Doctor replied truthfully.

Jason did not even turn around. "Use the pocket dimension and get him out of here!" he commanded.

"No!" the alien snarled. "They won't be able to leave. I control this world."

The Major heard Eroica give a small gasp and turned to him. "Help me get the Doctor inside. Then you get in with him," he ordered, holding the pouch open.

"Major, that thing…" Eroica said in a trembling voice.

"That thing is trying to frighten you."

"It's succeeding."

The Major took the Earl's arm in an iron grip, turning him to face him, and bringing him back to reality. He gave the startled man a steady look. "Fear clouds the mind, Lord Gloria. Ignore it."

"Ignore it?"

"Yes, Ignore it."

"Major, I'm not like you. I don't think I can—" Eroica broke off when Klaus snapped, "Dorian! Ignore it and do your job!"

The Earl stared at the officer in blank astonishment. _You called me Dorian!_ "Yes. Yes, alright."

A ghost of a smile passed across the Major's face. The bloody idiot was so easy to distract it was almost laughable.

In less than a minute, the Time Lord was safety within the pocket dimension and the thief was climbing in after him. "Major, don't let Jason kill himself. Take the bastard out," Eroica said before vanishing inside.

"_That_ I will gladly do," Klaus replied coldly. He went quickly to the TARDIS and only had to thump on the door once before Turlough opened it. "Mission completed," he called from the threshold. When the Alterran did not reply, he called again. "Jason!"

"Shut the door!" Jason yelled. "I'm sending this thing to hell and I don't want to take any of you with me." So saying, he returned to his true form, sending another massive wave of energy across the room.

The Major stiffened slightly upon hearing this. There was a finality in the Alterran's voice that spoke volumes to his experienced ear. Jason had no intention of returning, but it was something Klaus knew he would have to deal with after he made certain the Doctor was safe. He turned on his heel and strode into the console room. "Close the door," he ordered the instant he was inside.

"But Jason…" Turlough began.

Klaus was in no mood for arguments. He hit the door lever himself before opening the pocket dimension. "Eroica, come out."

"Major, I'm going to need your help," Eroica called from within impossible depths of the pouch. "I had to let go of the key."

"You idiot!"

"Not now, Major, just give me your bloody hand!" Eroica snapped impatiently. "The Doctor's unconscious."

The Major's anger immediately evaporated. He reached into the pouch, and felt a hand take hold of his wrist. He took hold of the Earl's wrist and pulled, drawing Eroica to the opening of the pouch. The thief had an arm wrapped around the Doctor's chest. The Major helped him out and assisted in placing the unconscious Time Lord on the floor.

The Major put his fingers to the Doctor's neck, the frown on his face deepening when he felt the Time Lord's double heartbeat. He looked over at Turlough. "Do you know how to help him?"

Turlough shook his head helplessly. "All I know is the TARDIS is the best place for him when he's ill."

"Why?" Eroica wanted to know.

"I don't know. But every time he's ill, he comes here."

Eroica turned his attention to the scanner screen and the continuing power struggle going on outside the TARDIS. "He's gonna kill himself, isn't he?" he said quietly, seeing the energy surrounding Jason suddenly swirl violently.

"He's gone over the edge," Turlough said knowingly. "The Doctor's the only one who can talk him down when he loses his temper like that."

Eroica turned back to the image on the scanner, his eyes wide. "_That's_ what happens when he loses his temper? Bloody hell…"

Eventually the systems behind the alien could take the assault no longer and started to overload. The creature shrieked in rage, turning away from Jason just as the computer erupted into flames.

Without a word, the Major rose to his feet, hit the door lever, and strode through the exterior doors. He stood on the threshold a moment, watching as the alien tried to stop the overload before its master was destroyed.

Jason's sensors picked up the movement behind him. A quick scan verified the individual's identity before he even spoke. "Major, get back in the TARDIS!"

"It's over. The Doctor is safe," Klaus announced. "You get back in the TARDIS."

"I can't. The only thing holding this thing back is me."

As if to verify his words, the slug gave a terrifying streak, the end of its body opening to reveal a mouth full of jagged teeth. Then it started to writhe. The alien that had been dueling with Jason continued to fight a losing battle with the computer system.

The horrified Major was taken aback by all this. "What?"

"No time to explain," Jason called back. "I can feel…the temporal energy drain. The damage. I was wrong! The Doctor was wrong! Now get back in the TARDIS and press that button."

"_Nein! _" came the defiant reply.

"Major, don't make me order you."

"I don't just follow orders, remember? The only way to save Time is to destroy that thing, yes?"

"I don't know anymore!"

The Major drew his Magnum and pointed it at the slug. "Then we'll find out." So saying, he pulled the trigger.


	35. What The Hell Happened?

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR**

**WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?**

Klaus wasn't sure what happened after he fired his weapon. He remembered an explosion and blinding white light. The next thing he knew, he was waking up on the floor of the console room, the exterior doors firmly shut beside him. There was debris from the destroyed computer room scattered everywhere throughout the console room.

He pulled what looked like a sheet of wallpaper off himself and slowly sat up. He took a moment just to make certain he was still in one piece before looking around the room. _What a mess._ Klaus slowly got to his feet and crossed to the console, leaning heavily against it a moment. He looked over at the scanner, seeing only static.

Eroica was on the floor a few feet away beside the prone form of the Doctor. Both of them were covered with dust, sheets of paper and plastic, and bits of rubble. There did not seem to be any sign of Turlough. Then a groan from the far side of the control console and a rustling of debris verified the young man's presence in the time machine—and among the living.

Turlough was extracting himself from a pile of debris when the Major came around the console to look at him. "Are you alright?" the officer asked.

"What do you care, you lunatic?" the boy snapped. "You could've killed us."

"You're fine," Klaus snorted dismissively, waving a hand in the boy's direction.

"Not that you care," Eroica groaned as he sat up, "but I seem to be relatively unscathed."

"And the Doctor?"

Eroica pulled the wreckage off the Time Lord's body and did a quick check. "Still unconscious. He seems alright." He looked from the Major, to the scanner and back again. "What the hell happened?"

"How the hell should I know?"

Turlough was at the console trying to clear the readings. "I'm no expert, but it _looks_ like we're still in the vortex."

"You mean…we went through all that for nothing?" Eroica moaned.

Turlough gave the Earl a dark look, as did the Major.

"Any idea what happened to Jason?" Eroica asked cautiously.

Turlough struggled with the console a moment and then turned to the scanner. It was still nothing but static. "It's not reading _anything, _" he said helplessly. "Let me see if I can clear the static."

While the young man continued to struggle with the console, the Major started searching for his gun, which had apparently been blown from his hand by the exploding computer room. He tossed the debris aside, throwing papers and chunks of plastic into a heap as he went. He reached the far side of the room before finally locating the weapon. He quickly checked it over and was surprised to see it appeared undamaged. He returned it to his holster and was about to turn away when he noticed something protruding from the debris that made him stop short. _A hand._ A bright red human hand.

Klaus yanked the large sheet of plastic aside, revealing Jason's battered form beneath. It took the Major a full second to register that the Alterran was back in his human form. Then he was kneeling beside him, checking for a pulse.

Jason moaned when the fingers touched his skin, his eyes opening a crack.

Klaus was uncertain as to whether the Alterran were conscious or not and took no chances, telling him not to speak. It was obvious that there was nothing he could do for him. Jason's body was a twisted, bloodied, and broken mess, his skin a livid red. He looked like he had been burned, either by heat or with chemicals. Perhaps he had been, Klaus thought as he took in the rest if Jason's devastating, and very probably mortal injuries.

"Turlough, get us out of here," the Major ordered without looking up.

"I _can't,_" Turlough replied helplessly. "The TARDIS won't dematerialize."

Klaus looked up sharply. "What? Why?"

"I don't know!"

The Major issued a stream of curses.

Eroica sat back and gave a resigned sigh, a hand going to his head. "So we're _stuck_ here?"

Turlough threw his hands up. "We are until the Doctor wakes up."

"Splendid. Who knows when that might be?"

To the astonishment of them all, the Doctor quietly replied, "I think now would be a very good time."

Eroica nearly jumped out of his skin, his hand going to his chest. "Bloody hell!"

The Doctor sat up slowly, a hand to his spinning head. He looked around himself, his eyebrows going up. "You lot have certainly made a mess of my TARDIS," he remarked aridly.

"You can thank the Major for that," Turlough snapped angrily.

Eroica helped the Doctor to his feet and then over to the console, which he used for support as he moved from panel to panel, checking the readings. After a minute, he was able to clear the scanner of static.

"Do you really think you should be on your feet so soon?" the Earl said concernedly.

The Doctor glanced at the scanner. "I don't really think I have a choice." He turned his gaze to the Major, his eyes falling on the battered form beside him. "Oh, no…" He held out a hand in Eroica's direction and the Earl came up beside him, helping him across the room.

"Oh, Jason, what did you do to yourself?" the Doctor said quietly as he got down beside his unconscious friend.

"Is there anything we can do?" Eroica asked. Like the Major, he had a pretty good idea what the answer would be. It was not the one he received.

The Doctor did not even look up. "Pray for a miracle."

Eroica blinked. "_What?_ You're not serious?"

"That's the only thing that will save him now," the Doctor stated flatly.

"Wonderful," the Major snorted, rising to his feet.

Eroica gave the officer a knowing look. "Now there's irony for you, Major. He's telling a room full of atheists to pray for a miracle."

The Major met his gaze steadily. "What else do you do when the miracle worker is the one in need of a miracle?"

"You've spent too many years sitting in churches," Eroica said scornfully. "You're actually starting to believe all that crap about having faith."

"And you call _me_ a pessimist," Klaus shot back. "Faith has nothing to do with it. I made a promise not to give up hope."

"Klaus…" came Jason's weak surprised voice. "You remembered."

The Major turned sharply to the Alterran, a startled look on his face. Remembered? Of course he remembered. He remembered everything that ever happened to him.

"Jason, don't talk," the Doctor said gently.

"Doctor, he shouldn't…remember," Jason said insistently. "It…happened _after…_"

The Doctor's eyes widened. "After your initial arrival?"

"Yes. After he…was hurt."

Klaus frowned. Then he realized what Jason meant. He should not be able to remember what he did. Suddenly, events were in his memory that had not been there even an hour before. Everything that had happened _after_ he and Eroica returned to the Lubyanka with Jason.

The frown on the Major's face deepened as he realized not _everything_ was there. Something was missing. He clearly recalled Jason carrying him as far as the transmat room and then…nothing until he woke up completely restored. Everything beyond that door was missing. Something had happened just as they arrived at the transmat room. Something Jason had said…

"Time out of joint," Jason and the Major said in unison.

This was enough to bring Klaus out of his daze with a jolt.

The Doctor threw a quizzical look in the Major's direction before turning back to the gravely injured Alterran. "Jason, please. Don't talk."

"No, Doctor," Jason said as forcefully as possible. "You need to know…about that…_thing._"

The Doctor threw a quick glance over to the scanner screen. "It's dead, Jason. And so's that creature we were chasing."

Jason shook his head. "It's not alone," he informed. "It's like…like…" He paused a moment, struggling to find the right analogy. "A bacteria."

"What?"

"It found a weak point…in the vortex, like…when a bacteria…enters a cut in the skin."

The Doctor's eyes grew wide. "And we're the anti-bodies," he said in a small voice.

"They feed on time."

"Feed on it?" the bewildered Eroica repeated.

"Altered timelines…"

The Doctor nodded. "That would produce an enormous amount of temporal energy." Then he realized something. "Bait. The temporal corridor was bait to attract the attention of the Time Lords."

"Yes."

"And the alien? How did it fit into all this?" the Major wanted to know.

Jason gave a small smile of irony. "It had nothing to do with any of it. It was just…feeding on the by products. It really was a parasite."

"Christ," Eroica muttered.

"Doctor, there are _thousands_ of those things."

"Mein Gott," the Major breathed in horror, his eyes wide.

"I didn't realize… Then it was too late," Jason said weakly. "I didn't have the energy to…stop the damage."

"That's what you get for playing hero," the Doctor admonished gently.

Jason gave him a weak smile, squeezing the Time Lord's hand. "That's what I get for losing my temper with an over abundance of energy to draw from."

The Doctor's eyes flickered but he did not reply.

"You have to…cover the wound before they push their way through."

"I'll do that. Now, you mustn't talk. Please…"

Jason closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "It's too late…" He could feel his strength ebbing away and squeezed his friend's hand again. "Doctor…tell Shadra I love her and…I'm sorry."

"Jason…" the Doctor said in a strained voice.

Jason opened his eyes, giving his friend an affectionate look. "Isn't it strange?" he said in a quiet, calm voice. "I always knew you'd be with me when I died." He seemed to relax, letting out a long breath before going completely still.

The Doctor felt the Alterran's hand go limp, watching his bright blue eyes go dull. Lifeless. He closed his own eyes and lowered his head. It was difficult enough to say good-bye when companions went their separate ways, but to say good-bye when they died was beyond difficult. In fact, it was the worst feeling in the universe.


	36. End This

**CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE**

**END THIS**

After what seemed like an eternity, the Doctor drew a deep breath and looked up. The Major was still standing beside him, a haunted expression on his face. He had the look of a man who had seen far too many men die unnecessarily. The Doctor could not help but wonder if his own face mirrored that expression.

Turlough was still at the console and had turned away. Eroica did not even attempt to hide his tears as he came to stand beside the Major. Then he heard the officer catch his breath.

"_Doctor!_"

The Major's voice tore through the silence in the room like a gun shot, his tone one of warning rather than consolation. The Time Lord looked up and then followed the officer's gaze to the scanner screen. A new alien slug had pushed the body of the other through the gash in the vortex and was now attempting the squeeze itself through before it closed.

"Right."

The Doctor gently closed Jason's eyes. Then he pulled a sheet of plastic from the pile beside him and used it to cover the Alterran's body. He got to his feet and went to the console as quickly as he could.

"Let's cover that wound, shall we?" he said coldly.

"Doctor, the TARDIS won't dematerialize," Turlough said shakily, hurriedly wiping the tears from his face. "I've already tried."

The Doctor scowled, scrutinizing the instruments. He pressed several buttons, flipped several switches, and turned half a dozen knobs, apparently without any success. He heaved an exasperated sigh and finally gave the console an almighty thump with his fist. Behind him, the exterior doors gave a low whirring sound. He spun around just in time to see them judder slightly.

"A-ha! There's the problem," he said triumphantly. "The doors aren't closed properly. Something's jamming them."

"I'm not surprised," Eroica replied, taking in the debris still littering the room.

"Well, we'll have to un-jam them, won't we?" the Doctor snapped impatiently.

"Doctor, do you really think it's wise for _you_ to go out there again?" Eroica asked. "That thing wants to kill you."

"That thing wants to kill all of us," the Major corrected sharply as he strode to the doors.

"Now there's a comforting thought."

The Major gave him a dark look.

The Time Lord held up his hands. "Let's worry about that _after_ we've got the doors open."

There were two sets of exterior doors, the larger set that swung into the console room, and the smaller exterior set that were part of the Police Box façade. The Doctor pulled the door lever and the internal set of doors swung open. The space between the two sets of doors was packed with debris.

"Well, that explains it," the Time Lord muttered aridly.

"How do we clear that lot?" Eroica wanted to know.

"Simple. Pull it into the console room," the Doctor replied. "Then open the second set of doors and chuck the lot."

* * *

It took very little time for the three of them to clear the doorway. Once everything was in a pile, the Doctor tried to pull open the Police Box doors only to find that they, too, were stuck. He struggled with them a moment before realizing something had become wedged up underneath. It took the combined efforts of the Doctor and the Major to get what turned out to be Eroica's pocket dimension from beneath the doors.

"I wondered where that got to," the thief said as the Major turned around with the mangled cloth in his hand. Eroica reached out to take it, only to have it pulled away.

"You don't need something that makes it easier to steal," Klaus snapped.

Eroica gave him a steady look. "Then may I at least have Jason's TARDIS key?" he said politely, indicating the object that had become tangled in the string and was dangling from it.

The Major looked at the key and gave a resigned sigh. It was obvious the Earl wanted it as a memento and he held out the pouch, allowing him to untangle the key.

"I promised not to lose this," Eroica said in way of explanation as he clasped the key in one hand and held it to his chest.

The Major gave him an inscrutable look before turning to the Doctor. "I think you should have this back before the thief decides to steal the TARDIS," he said, holding out the pocket dimension.

"Major, I don't think even that pocket dimension is big enough to hold the TARDIS," Eroica said in a petulant tone as he crossed the room.

"This is coming from a man who stole a tank!"

Turlough's eyebrows when up. "You stole a _tank?_"

The Doctor gave his companion a quelling look. "Dorian, Major, _please!_ This really isn't the time—"

The rest of the Time Lord's words were cut off when the Major opened the pouch. He was intending to use it to make his point. Instead, bright light suddenly spilled from its depths. He was so startled that he dropped the sack as a rush of wind burst forth, filling the room. The exterior doors of the Police Box flew open with a bang, the debris swirling around the room.

Eroica was thrown back against the wall near Jason's body, which seemed strangely unaffected by the chaos in the room. The thief grabbed at the nearest roundel to keep from being sucked out as the wind abruptly changed direction. Turlough had been standing at the console and held on for dear life. The Major was thrown back against the console and grabbed what he could to stay on his feet. The Doctor ended up beside him and expertly took hold of the console with one hand while attempting to manipulate the controls with the other.

"What the hell did you do?" Turlough demanded.

"The pocket dimension must've stored the energy release," the Doctor theorized as his struggled with the controls.

"Doctor!"

The Time Lord looked up at Eroica's panicked call. The plastic sheet had blown off Jason's body and a stream of energy was now pouring into it from the pocket dimension. The Alterran's inert form was glowing brightly.

"What's happening?" the frightened Eroica called.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know."

After nearly a minute, and to the amazement of all present, Jason took a gulp of air, his eyes snapping open. When he looked up, the thief recoiled. The Alterran's eyes were glowing a bright and angry red.

Jason slowly got to his feet, the light of the energy stream still pouring into him. His body started to expand, as if unable to contain the power pouring into it.

The maelstrom abated as suddenly as it began. All the debris was abruptly carried out of the console room, the doors to the Police Box exterior closing with a bang.

Then everything went deathly quiet.

"Jason…" Eroica said in a horrified whisper as the Alterran's clothing started to burst at the seams, the skin beneath a livid red.

"It isn't Jason," the Doctor said firmly. "Jason's dead. That's nothing more than an animated cadaver."

"Oh, God…"

The creature turned its gaze on the Doctor. "You survived," it observed, a surprised tone in the almost unnaturally deep voice.

"Yes..." the Doctor replied evenly. "Who or what are you?" he asked cautiously.

The creature seemed to struggle with the reply. "Time…will be ours."

The Doctor stiffened visibly. "No. I won't allow it."

"We will…use this host to complete entry."

"What does that mean?" the Major wanted to know.

"It's going to use Jason's body to finish opening the portal into the vortex."

"What! That's…that's…" Eroica found himself at a loss for words.

"It's obscene!" the Doctor hissed. "I will _not_ allow you to—"

The red eyes glowed even more brightly. "You can't stop it. You won't harm your…" The creature paused as though searching the Alterran's memory for the correct term. "Friend. Even like this."

The Doctor ground his teeth, a low growl rising in his throat. This was the truth and he knew it.

The creature turned towards the door only to find its path barred by the Major, who had his gun out and aimed unwaveringly at it.

"And what do say about _me?_" Klaus challenged coldly. A small smile curled the edges of his mouth when the creature took a step back. It was a smile that had sent the most hardened of KGB agents packing. A smile that sent a chill down Eroica's spine. He knew what that smile meant, even if the creature didn't. It meant Iron Klaus would very happily kill whoever or whatever he was pointing his gun at.

"Do you think _**I**_ won't shoot?" Klaus asked calmly.

The glowing red eyes closed, and the creature looked as though it were in pain. When it spoke again, the voice was Jason's. "It isn't sure, Major. But _I_ am. I know you'll do it if you have to."

Klaus frowned. _What kind of trick is this?_

When the eyes opened, they were back to their normal blue color. "Time…" Jason struggled to say. He turned to the Doctor, a pleading look in his eyes. "If it gets control of the TARDIS—" He struggled a moment before saying, "Please, end this. Stop it, now!"

"How?" Klaus demanded.

When Jason turned back to face him, the Major found it very disconcerting to see the familiar blue eyes staring out from the bloated red creature now before him. It was obvious the Alterran was fighting the creature that had taken control of his body.

Jason knew his should be dead. No, he already was dead. Somehow, the creature was winding back the clock, extending his life in this unnatural suspension of the Laws of Time. Changing time to give itself more energy.

"How? How do we stop it?" the Major demanded again.

"Don't let it—_me_…don't…" Jason drew a deep breath.

The Doctor threw a quick look in Turlough's direction. "Get ready to dematerialize," he said quietly and then hit the door lever.

The exterior doors had scarcely closed when Jason seemed to double over in pain as the creature clawed at his mental defenses. "Fire, Major! I'm dead. Kill this _thing. _Don't let it take control of the TARDIS!" It was all too obvious that Jason was not giving up without a fight. It was equally obvious that he was losing the battle as his body distorted further. Then a low growl rose in the Alterran's throat. When he finally straightened, his eyes were glowing red again. The creature had won.

Klaus did not even hesitate. He fired his weapon, blowing a hole in the Alterran's chest and sending him flying back into the wall. The look on the creature's face was one of shock as it struck the wall and slowly slid to the floor.

Eroica had been behind Jason and found himself splattered with blood. He gave an alarmed cry as the Alterran's body struck the wall beside him and slumped to the floor, an enormous pool of blood forming almost immediately. Eroica jumped back, dropping the TARDIS key. It landed in the puddle of blood at his feet. "Dammit!"

To the amazement of all present, the pool of blood started to glow. It began around the key and slowly spread, eventually engulfing the shattered and bloated corpse. The hum of the TARDIS console momentarily grew louder, the time column flickering several times. The Doctor turned sharply to look at the readings, his eyes growing wide. "Clever girl," he said approvingly.

"Doctor," Eroica gasped as he backed away from the glowing form, "what's happening?"

"The TARDIS seems to be trying to separate the alien's DNA from Jason's," he replied calmly.

"What? How?" This was Turlough, who was starting to feel completely lost.

"The same way it did in the transmat."

"Doctor, we had a copy from the buffer for that," Turlough objected.

The Doctor turned to look at the creature. The glowing red skin was starting to ripple, the color fading. Then the Alterran's body started to take on a more humanoid appearance again.

"Dorian, how did you get Jason's TARDIS key?" the Time Lord demanded suddenly.

Eroica blinked. "What?"

"Did you take it or did Jason give it to you?"

Eroica's mouth dropped open. "This is hardly the time to be worrying about whether or not I stole something, Doctor!" he snapped angrily.

"Tell me!"

"Jason gave it to him." This was the Major, who was just as confused as the thief as to why this was suddenly of paramount importance. "Why does that matter?"

"Because it will still have his DNA coding!" Turlough gasped, his eyes growing wide.

"So?"

"Don't you remember? Jason told you about—" Turlough broke off when he realized what he was saying. All that would have been erased in the return trip in the transmat.

But Klaus _did_ remember, and he still had no idea why.

"Dorian, if you'd stolen the key, Jason's DNA fingerprint would've been erased," the Doctor informed. "He put a copy of his DNA in the computer for a comparison when we separated the imprint from the buffer."

"Doctor, I didn't follow any of that the last time you explained it," the Earl said helplessly.

The glowing form suddenly convulsed as the alterations made to Jason's DNA were relentlessly removed. After several minutes, the Alterran's body went completely still, having returned to normal. A glowing cloud of red mist rose into the air the same instant the exterior doors swung open. The cloud was then sucked from the room, the doors swinging shut behind it.

The Doctor turned to look at the scanner, his hands flying over the controls. "Now, let's plug that hole."

Turlough exchanged a bewildered look with the others. He had no idea what the Doctor actually intended. "How are you going to…um, plug the hole?" he asked finally.

The answer came when the TARDIS gave a violent shudder, sending them all staggering.

"I think the old girl will do rather nicely until the Time Lord's can fix that tear in the fabric of space/time," the Doctor remarked airily.

Turlough turned to look at the scanner, seeing nothing but swirling colors and distorted shapes. "I don't have to press the button, then," he said calmly.

The Doctor frowned. "What button?"

Being nearest, it was the Major who replied, pointing to the button that Jason had indicated earlier. "This one. Under the console," he said as he calmly lit a cigarette.

The frown on the Doctor's face deepened and he came over to see what the officer meant, his eyes growing wide when he leaned down to look under the console. "Who told you to press _that?_" he demanded.

Turlough was taken aback and exchanged a baffled look with the Major and the Earl. "Jason did," he said defensively.

"What? When? Why?"

"Doctor, what is it?" the Major asked practically. "From your tone I can only assume it isn't what we were led to believe."

The Doctor straightened. "No." He pressed a switch and the button flipped around, concealing itself within the console again. "It must never be pressed under _any_ circumstances."

"Never? Why?"

"Because that's the self destruct switch. If you press it, the TARDIS will explode."


	37. Time Out Of Joint

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX**

**TIME OUT OF JOINT**

"I can't take much more of this," Eroica said as he sagged against the wall, a hand going to his head.

The Major turned an annoyed scowl in his direction but did not comment. He couldn't exactly deride the thief for getting himself involved in this mess, since that was the bloody KGB's doing. All he could do was put up with him until they returned to their own time and he could be rid of him.

"Is that it?" Turlough wanted to know. "Now we just...wait for the Time Lords to figure out we're here?"

"Well, it might be a good idea to contact them," the Doctor said mildly. "Hopefully, they'll be more helpful than that last time I called them."

"Doctor," Eroica said in a small voice. "We can't just...leave Jason on the floor like this." He looked down at the Alterran's inert form and shuddered, closing his eyes. "It's not decent."

The Doctor sighed heavily. "Yes." He threw a quick glance in Turlough's direction. "We'll put him in Tegan's room until..." His voice trailed off and he closed his eyes. _Until I can contact Tel-Shye with the bad news._ He thought back on all the years Jason had traveled with him. All those years his father had been dead set against it, trying to get him to return home so he would be safe, only for him to die because of something he had gotten involved in on his own.

Turlough crossed to the inner door and pushed it open. He was in no condition to be carrying anyone, and probably should not have been on his feet nearly as long as he had been already. He turned back and waited.

Eroica looked down and took a hesitant step, stopping dead when Klaus snapped, "I'll carry him." The thief gave him a stunned look but did not reply. After all, technically, the Major had just killed the person in charge of his mission.

"Where is this room?" the Major asked as he knelt down.

"Just in here," Turlough replied, nodding through the open door.

Klaus nodded and turned back. The expression on his face changed from cold determination to shock when he repositioned the body in order to lift it from the floor. _Was that a moan I just heard?_ He put his fingers to Jason's neck, his eyes widening at the same time. "Doctor, he's still alive!" he announced in astonishment.

"What?" everyone in the room cried in a collective gasp.

The Doctor strode across the room and knelt down at the Alterran's side. "What in this cosmos is keeping you going?" he muttered, shaking his head.

"Is it Jason or that...thing?" Turlough wanted to know.

The Doctor looked up, drawing a deep breath. He did not reply directly. Instead, he looked at the Major. "Let's get him off the floor, shall we?"

* * *

Less than an hour after being placed in Tegan's room, Jason slowly opened his eyes, being somewhat surprised to find himself alive. _Again._ He realized very quickly that he lacked the strength to move. In fact, he scarcely had the energy to keep his eyes open. He took stock of his injuries, or lack there of, and discovered why he was so weak. The alien DNA had been purged from his system, but his own DNA was unstable...and unraveling.

_Great. I'm going to die. Again._

Jason heard movement in the room and mustered his strength to turn his head. A few feet away, the Major was sitting in a chair, calmly smoking a cigarette, and silently watching him. The officer gave no reaction when the Alterran's eyes locked onto him, continuing in his silence.

"If you're trying to unnerve me," Jason said weakly, "don't bother. I don't have the energy."

The Major's eyes flickered but he did not reply.

Jason closed his eyes. "Are you here as my bodyguard, or my executioner?"

This question got a reaction. Klaus sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Why would you think I'm your executioner?"

Jason had to struggle to open his eyes again. "You've already killed me once," he replied calmly. "I've no doubt you won't hesitate to do so again if you believe it's necessary."

The Major's eyebrows went up. "And will it be necessary?"

"No. My DNA is unraveling at the seams." Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "I can't seem to stay alive, can I?"

"The Doctor is trying to find a way of stopping the...unraveling."

"He's alright, then?"

"Yes."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief. "How did he get the alien DNA out of my system in the first place?"

"He didn't. After I shot you, Lord Gloria dropped the TARDIS key into your blood," the Major informed matter of factly. "The Doctor said the TARDIS did the rest."

"The TARDIS..." Jason gave a wry smile. "We must've left the separation program running."

"Separation program?"

"Yes. The one that put you back together. It separated my DNA from yours and Dorian's so the transmat could..." Jason's voice trailed off. "I guess the old girl couldn't extract and stabilize mine at the same time."

"An either/or proposition?" Klaus concluded.

"Yes."

The Major took a drag from his cigarette and sat thoughtfully a moment. "Could the TARDIS stabilize your DNA if the same thing happened?"

"Coming in contact with the key, you mean?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure the Doctor's thought of that. It must only work one time. The imprint must've been erased." Jason drew a deep breath and struggled to open his eyes. "You won't have the pleasure of killing me again."

The Major stubbed out his cigarette and got to his feet. "I find nothing pleasurable in killing a friend," he said coldly.

Jason blinked. _Did he just say friend? I'm dying and going mad._

Klaus reached into his pocket, pulling out a TARDIS key. "This is yours, I believe," he said as he held it out.

"Major, I just told you..."

"This isn't the one you gave the Earl," Klaus interrupted. "This is the one you gave _me._"

"What...?" Jason's eyes opened fully and looked at the key dangling from the Major's fingers. "You still remember what happened before?"

"Almost everything."

Jason scowled. "Almost?"

"That's not important now," Klaus said impatiently. "Take the key."

"No, I can't..."

"Do you want to die a third time?"

Jason drew a deep breath. "Major, the reason we came here was to stop the future from being altered."

"So?"

"I'm supposed to be dead."

Klaus met the Alterran's gaze steadily. "How do you know that?" he said sharply. "What if your _dying_ changes the future?"

Jason blinked. He hadn't considered that possibility. "I might not have the strength to withstand the process."

"What difference does it make? You're gonna die anyway."

"You really have a way with words, you know that?"

"Shut up and take the key."

"Major..."

Before Jason could object, the Major was placing the key in his hand and closing the fingers around it.

Everyone in the console room practically jumped out of their skin at the sound of Jason suddenly screaming at the top of his voice. "Klaus! _No!_"

"Bloody hell!" Eroica exclaimed. "The Major's killing him. _Again!_"

The Doctor was already storming to the inner door. He struggled with the door to Tegan's room to no avail. It refused to open.

"He's jammed it shut," the Doctor said as he started pounding on the door. "Major! Open the door."

Silence.

"Major! Dammit, open the door!"

Klaus stood at Jason's bedside, looking over at the doorway in silence as the Doctor continued to pound on it from the opposite side. The chair he had been sitting in was jammed up against it, effectively keeping the Time Lord out. He turned his gaze back to Jason, who was gasping for breath, his eyes tightly closed. His body was starting to glow faintly, radiating from the key clenched in his fist.

The Doctor straightened as a scream burst forth from the other side of the door. He turned on his heel, pushing Turlough and Eroica aside as he stormed back into the console room.

"Doctor!" Eroica gasped. He turned to Turlough in bewilderment. "Where's he going?"

Turlough shrugged. "It's best not to ask when he's like this." He jumped and threw a nervous look back at the door as Jason screamed again. "What the hell is he doing in there?"

Eroica shuddered. "With the Major, it's usually best not to ask, either," he replied knowingly.

The Doctor reappeared, making straight for a door in the far wall that Turlough suddenly realized had not been there a few seconds earlier. Then he knew what the Doctor had done. He had changed the TARDIS's architectural configuration. No doubt this door now led into Tegan's bedroom.

Turlough's suspicions were confirmed when the Doctor threw open the door.

Klaus look up in surprise when the far wall suddenly had a door in it that was just as suddenly thrown open, the Doctor on the threshold, a look of thunder on his face. A look that changed to total bewilderment when he saw the officer standing calmly at the bedside. Jason was writhing on the bed, his body glowing faintly.

"Major, what on Earth...?" the Doctor began. He got no further. At that moment, Jason let out a low moan and went limp. The key dropped from his hand and hit the floor with a faint clank.

Klaus gave the Time Lord a steady look before bending down to retrieve the key. He wordlessly returned it to his pocket, going on to light a cigarette as the Doctor came over and quickly checked the Alterran's condition.

After a moment, the Doctor looked up. "What did you do?" he practically demanded.

The Major blew smoke in the air, meeting the Time Lord's accusing gaze. "The same as the Earl."

"Me?" Eroica gasped from the doorway. "What did I do?"

"You gave him his key."

The Doctor blinked. It had completely slipped his memory that Jason had given the Major a TARDIS key. Then again, he had though that the key had been lost after the creature's attack. Obviously, the officer had not lost the key. It was equally obvious that he also had not lost the memories that had suddenly returned to him.

The Major pulled the chair away from the door and took a seat. He looked as if absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had happened as he calmly smoked his cigarette. "How long do you think it will be before we can return to 1987?" he asked conversationally.

The words were no sooner out of his mouth when the TARDIS gave a violent judder. If there had not been a second violent lurch, the Doctor would have said that this was the TARDIS being removed from the gash in the vortex by the Time Lords. But _they_ had a bit more finesse than this.

The Doctor headed back to the console room, stopping dead in his tracks when he reached the inner door. The time column was moving. Somehow, the time machine had taken flight on her own. He crossed to the console and scrutinized the readings, becoming all the more puzzled as he went.

"Doctor, what's happening?" Turlough asked sheepishly.

"It seems the TARDIS is taking us back to 1987 all on her own," the Doctor replied as he looked up.

"But...what about that...creature?" Eroica asked. "And the crack in the vortex, or whatever it was?"

"It was never there."

Everyone jumped when Jason suddenly spoke.

Eroica turned back, seeing the Alterran struggling to sit up. He could not quite manage it and fell back onto the pillow.

"I'm no doctor," Klaus remarked aridly, "but I don't think you should be doing that."

An amused smile came to Jason's face and he chuckled. "And you say you don't have a sense of humor," he said softly. His voice was weak, but undeniably his own. He turned his head to look at the others who now stood in the doorway. They seemed hesitant to come near him. Considering all that had just happened, he could hardly blame them.

"Do you think it will be necessary to shoot me, Major?" he asked mildly.

"Not today."

Jason closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. "Tomorrow, then. When Time returns to normal."

"What do you mean?" This was the Doctor, who had returned to the room. He did not like the readings he had seen on the instruments in console room.

Jason opened his eyes. "That...thing drew energy from temporal paradoxes."

"We know all that," Turlough said impatiently.

"During that...power struggle it was...winding things...backward."

"Backward?"

Jason nodded. "That's why the Major suddenly remembered everything."

"I don't remember everything," Klaus said matter of factly.

Eroica gave him a stunned look. "How do you know that? How can you possibly know...well, that you don't know?"

"Time went out of joint," the Major replied. "I remember it happening and nothing after. Not until we returned to the starting point."

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. Somehow, he had the feeling that there was more to this. That time was still out of joint somehow. Somewhere. Somewhen.

"It's just a small paradox, but enough to cause a ripple in the fabric of Space/Time," Jason said quietly.

"And give it more power," the Doctor concluded.

"Yes." Jason paused a moment, drawing a deep breath. "When it...took me over, I saw what it'd done. It...wound time back too far."

The Doctor frowned. "Too far?"

Jason nodded. "The gash in the vortex. It's...closing on its own because of it."

The Doctor's eyes widening. "It caused the paradox that will keep it out of our universe," he said in an amazed tone. "That explains the readings the TARDIS is picking up." He threw a quick glance back into the console room.

"That alien whatever-it-was discovered it by accident," Jason said.

"When the transmat latched onto the time corridor," the Doctor concluded.

"But..." Turlough broke off when all eyes turned to him. He sighed heavily, asking, "Why would it take on the identity of a KGB scientist?"

"Fear," Jason said softly.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Yes, I'm beginning to understand now."

The Major sat back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Care to enlighten us, _Herr_ Doctor?" he said astringently.

The Doctor gave him a knowing look before stating that it seemed likely that the alien parasite had assumed the identity of Borodin because of the fear the man instilled in others. Especially if the real Borodin were already allied with Ivanov. Rather than jumping out of corners, all he had to do was walk into a room and people would be terrified.

"And then the Major went and killed Ivanov," the Doctor concluded. "And you, Jason, threw the transmat offline, completely isolating it."

Jason closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "And put it into withdrawal. Wonderful."

"It's dead now," the Major stated flatly. "It won't be terrorizing anyone anymore." He gave the Earl a steady look that completely bewildered him. He would never know what had really happened to him. And Klaus was not about to tell him.

The Doctor saw Jason struggling to keep his eyes open and gave him a small smile. "Jason, you get some rest," he said calmly, "while I make certain that gash is completely sealed."

Eroica looked in the Major's direction before crossing to the bedside. "Now it's my turn to look after you," he said happily.

"Dorian, I just need to sleep," Jason said quietly.

"The Major's watched you sleep long enough," Eroica replied as he sat down on the bed. "It's my turn."

"Great. Do you think this is your chance to finally get into my bed?" Jason said playfully.

"You meant it isn't?" Eroica said innocently.

"No."

"I was right," Eroica moaned playfully. "You don't love me anymore."

Jason's eyes flickered in the Major's direction. "Major, if he tries anything while I'm asleep, please, shoot him for me."

"Is that an order, your royal highness?" Klaus replied coolly.

"Yes."

An evil smile came to the Major's face, his eyes narrowing. "I think I might enjoy carrying out that order."

"Major!" Eroica gasped. He heard Jason give a chuckle and turned back to him with an annoyed look on his face. "You two are evil, do you hear me! Evil!"

The Doctor gave a very dramatic groan and turned to leave. "Well, obviously things are back to normal _inside_ the TARDIS," he said as he went back into the console room. "Let's see about the rest of the universe."


	38. Back To Normal

**CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN**

**BACK TO NORMAL**

**_ARGO_ Flight Deck**  
**Hangar Bay 287**  
**Moscow, Russia**  
**November 2620**

Jason sat staring at the computer screen without really seeing it, his mind elsewhere. Well, several elsewheres, actually. First was the North Downs of England and Castle Gloria. Saying goodbye to Dorian—again. He was sure that Dorian must've thought he'd lost his mind when he returned the Earl's enthusiastic hug. He had even agreed—sort of—to remember him when he became King Jason, whenever that might be.

The next thing he knew, he was standing outside NATO Headquarters in Bonn, saying goodbye to the Major. He was astonished when the officer actually accepted his handshake. Right to the end, the man was as inscrutable as ever.

Then the worse goodbye of them all. The Doctor. Even a handshake would be too much for the Time Lord. Jason knew the Doctor would forgive him any emotional display he might put on, but he had refrained from doing more than simply saying goodbye and exiting the TARDIS. He would either see the Doctor again, or he wouldn't. He prayed that they would cross paths again, but wasn't going to hold his breath.

Jason had gone on to make a quick check into Earth's past and the year 1987. Like the Doctor, he could not shake the feeling that Time was still out of joint somewhere. The only anomaly he could find was the inexplicable events surrounding the Stock Market Crash on the nineteenth of October when markets fell worldwide. Even the experts could not explain the suddenness of the event that appeared out of nowhere, and played out in a single day. Someone later called it the Big Bad Wolf. Jason knew the Doctor would call it a residual time ripple.

Sully had been watching the Prince for a long time. It wasn't like him to be so quiet for so long. He had been working at the computer for nearly three straight hours without speaking. Not a single word. Then he suddenly asked to see the new design for the _ARGO_. Just like that. It was...eerie.

"Jason, are you sure you're alright?" Sully said finally.

Jason looked up in surprise. "What? Why?"

"Because you haven't said more than two sentences since the Doctor dropped you off," Sully pointed out. "You're not mad that I let Muriel leave without saying goodbye, are you?"

"No, of course not." Jason sat back, a wistful expression on his face. "I always get like this when..." He closed his eyes. _When the Doctor leaves me behind yet again._ "One day, it'll be the last time. And, well, Dorian and the Major..." He sighed, his eyes focused in the distance. "That was over six hundred years ago. They've been dead a very long time now. I...don't really like thinking about that."

Sully's eyes grew wide. "Sorry, I never thought of it that way."

"It's okay. I'll..." Jason gave a smile of irony. "I'll live."

Sully gave his friend and employer a searching look. "I was afraid something bad might've happened," he said at last.

Jason's looked up sharply, his bright blue eyes lighting up. He started to chuckle. Then he started to laugh.

If he only knew!

* * *

**Little Hodcomb, England  
July 1984**

The Doctor was closing down the console when he heard a thudding on the exterior doors. He looked up and scowled, exchanging a bewildered look with Turlough. His companion pulled the door lever and turned, his eyebrows going up as Tegan came marching into the console room.

"Tegan?" the Doctor said in a surprised tone. "What on earth...?"

"I just realized that you two are up to," Tegan said accusingly, looking from one to the other.

"Up to?"

"Yes. You think I'm stupid or something?"

Turlough gave a theatrical sigh. "No comment," he replied as he went to sit down.

"Brat!"

"Tegan," the Doctor said quickly, coming to stand in front of her. "What _are_ you talking about?"

"If you think I'm going to stay behind while you two go off on some adventure you've got another thing coming!" Tegan shot back, folding her arms. "So...let's go then."

"Go?"

"Yes," Tegan sighed impatiently. "To straighten out that science project gone wrong."

The Time Lord blinked and stood staring down at her in mute astonishment. Then he looked up, seeing an amused expression spread across Turlough's face a few seconds before he started to laugh. A moment later, the Doctor joined him.

Yes, the universe was very definitely back to normal.

* * *

**Castle Gloria  
North Downs, England  
August 26, 1987**

"Oh, my poor, poor, James," Eroica cooed as his accountant told his tale of woe. Of course, this was the third or fourth telling of how the group had been whisked out of the Soviet Union, so more embellishments were being added with each telling.

Eroica had heard a slightly less emotional version from Bonham, who told him that everything had gone amazingly smoothly. James had sold all the electronics they had stolen from the hotel for a sum that paid nearly all the expenses. It was the "nearly all" part that had the accountant so wound up.

"Jamesie, darling," Eroica drawled, interrupting the man in mid-complaint. "I have a present for you, if you'll be quiet long enough for me to give it to you."

This instantly gained James' attention. He looked up sharply, his eyes wide. "Present, m'lord? For me?"

"Yes, all for you." Eroica pulled out the pocket dimension and reached in, pulling out a jeweled necklace. "Isn't it lovely?" he asked. He thought James' eyes would pop out of his head as he laid the object on the table in front of him. And then another. And another.

"My lord!" James squealed, pulling out his Casio mini and punching in numbers. "I can put the money in the bank," he muttered. "At the current interest rate..."

"You do whatever you like," the Earl said happily, as he leaned back and put his feet up. _There's more where that came from,_ he thought, playing with the pocket dimension as the little man chattered on delightedly.

Eroica did not even hear what James was saying. He was thinking of all that had happened. He was sure he should probably be traumatized by the horrors he had witnessed, but for some reason, his dreams weren't plagued with nightmares. In fact, ever since his return he had been having the most delightfully erotic dreams about the Major. Dreams of that lovely body—naked, and with a very sexy scar on one hip.

Someone turned on the television and Eroica turned to watch as a News story came on about some announcement from West Germany. There was his lovely Major in the background, looking deliciously uncomfortable, as always.

This was a very important announcement. Somehow, the Earl knew that it had been pivotal in the events he had just lived through. Events that had been erased from his memory. Yet, he had a feeling it would all be resolved by year's end, and found himself wondering where he might be come December...

* * *

**Schloss Eberbach  
Bonn, West Germany  
August 26, 1987**

The Major sat in his study, the smoke from the ever present cigarette rising above his head. He had his nose buried in the newspaper. In fact, he'd had his nose buried in one newspaper after another almost from the moment he arrived home. He had scarcely taken the time to change into his pajamas before he was back in his study going through the pile that had accumulated in his absence.

"Master," the butler said from the door. "The evening papers you requested."

Klaus did not even lower the paper in his hands. He gave an unintelligible grunt as he went on with his reading.

"There's an excellent picture of you in the paper today, sir," the butler said as he entered the room.

This was enough to gain the Major's full attention. He lowered the paper to his lap and gave his butler a piercing look. "What are you jabbering about?" he asked sharply.

The butler was unfazed by the outburst. He merely smiled thinly and held out the paper in question. It had a photograph of the Chancellor giving a speech. Behind him, in a group of various individuals, stood the Major.

Klaus took the paper and studied the photograph. He had tried his utmost to avoid being photographed, but the damned reporters were everywhere. His eyes took in the article and a small, knowing smile came to his face as he read, "Chancellor Announces Plans To Dismantle Short-Range INF Missiles." Then he remembered the Doctor telling him the future and wondered abstractly where he would be come December...

**- END -**

* * *

**DISCLAIMERS:**  
_Doctor Who_ original series broadcast on the BBC. Format © BBC 1963  
_Doctor Who_ and _Tardis_ are trademarks of the BBC.  
_Eroica Yori Ai O Komete_ © Yasuko Aoike and Princess Comics.  
The story and all other original characters are © Margaret Price.  
No copyright infringement is intended.


End file.
